Alex Collins Fantasy: Does His Stock Take a Hit with Montgomery Trade?

Getty Images Alex Collins protecting the ball on a carry against the Panthers.

The Baltimore Ravens took advantage of the Green Bay Packers frustrations towards running back, Ty Montgomery just an hour before the NFL’s trade deadline. After losing a crucial fumble in Sunday’s game with the Green Bay Packers, things have gone south for Montgomery and the team. So, it’s no surprise to find out that the Packers are finished with the running back/wide receiver hybrid.

So, the Ravens picked up the phone and offered to take Montgomery off of Green Bay’s hands. No big deal, right? Well, it is if you own fantasy stock in Alex Collins, and or, Javorious “Buck” Allen. All season long it has been challenging to figure out which Ravens running back is worth playing in fantasy.

For the most part, it was easiest just to fade both guys week after week, because it was hard to project who was worth playing. Now, the situation gets even tougher as their backfield suddenly becomes overcrowded. With Montgomery in the picture, how will this affect the Ravens first-string running back, Alex Collins?

How Does This Affect Collins?

Montgomery hasn’t been as useful for the Packers in the run game this season, in comparison to his production in the receiving game. He has 15 catches for 170 yards, along with 26 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown. Montgomery doesn’t have the same workload as Collins, but he is averaging 4.0 YPC, which is higher than Collins’ 3.7 YPC.

For some reason, the Ravens don’t seem to trust Collins in the run game. It could have something to do with his fumbling issues, which he’s lost three so far this season. But they don’t seem to like Collins much as he’s only averaging around 12 carries-per-game, which is a slight decrease from his 14 carries-per-game just a season ago.

Montgomery’s role will probably have a lot to do with the passing game, but don’t kid yourself if you think that doesn’t affect Collins’ usage. With Allen already getting a chunk of the production already, Collins’ stock trends downwards once again with the Montgomery acquisition on Tuesday. At this point, any value for Collins through a trade would be better than trying to gamble on how many carries he will be able to get week-after-week.