The Baltimore Ravens bolstered their backfield in a unique fashion by striking a deal with the Green Bay Packers for Ty Montgomery. The Packers situation at running back became a bit crowded and the wide receiver-turned-running back was the odd-man out there, so the deal makes sense. On the opposite side, the Ravens certainly could use a boost in the backfield and may get that with this deal.
The trade was first detailed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Ravens are trading a 7th-round pick in 2020 draft to Packers for Ty Montgomery, per source. Packers clearly wanted to move on, and so did Montgomery.
Heading into Week 9, the Ravens come in No. 24 in the NFL in rushing yards per game at 96.6. Their numbers have been somewhat interesting, as Alex Collins has totaled 358 yards on 98 attempts (3.7 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. After him, Javorius Allen has just 100 yards on a 2.6 yard-per-carry average, so improving this backfield is big.
Let’s take a look at Montgomery’s impact from a fantasy football perspective on his new team, and evaluate how it could result in him having a solid opportunity to shine.
Ty Montgomery Fantasy Football Value After Trade
Obviously, it’s unknown exactly what role Montgomery will play, but the Ravens have shown interest in taking away touches from Allen in recent weeks. After back to back games of seeing at least 12 touches, the 27-year-old saw four, six and three over the past two games. In turn, the pass-catching work could go to Montgomery, assuming he hits the ground running.
Through eight games, Allen has caught 30 passes for 188 receiving yards and two scores. What really jumps out from his numbers is how much workload could be available for Montgomery potentially. It’s unlikely the Ravens just opt to pull Allen off the field altogether, but Montgomery could easily overtake him as the pass-catching back and even steal work on the ground from Collins.
On the season, Allen has played 46.3 percent of the offensive snaps to Collins’ 42.3 and both have played eight games, per Football Outsiders. If Montgomery handles the 3-6 targets per game which were going to Allen, while taking 6-8 carries in the process, he gets in the mix as a fantasy option.
When given opportunities this season, Montgomery has flashed major upside, including a six-catch, 49-yard game against the Washington Redskins earlier this season. The 25-year-old is trending up after this deal, and while I wouldn’t start him immediately, adding him in 12-team leagues or above makes sense. Realistically, I envision him being an option for 14-team leagues or larger as a flex play due to his dynamic ability.
Update
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed, Montgomery has been made inactive for Week 9. He’ll likely make his Ravens debut in Week 10.
Ravens’ RB/WR Ty Montgomery is inactive today.
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Ty Montgomery Fantasy: Value of RB After Trade to Ravens