Now in Detroit, Montgomery will theoretically replace Jamaal Williams as the team's physical running back. In that role over two years, Williams averaged 13.8 carries and 1.3 catches per game with 20 touchdowns (17 in 2022). It's fair to expect Montgomery to get close to that workload with a shot at scoring several times near the goal line. But the Lions' other running back addition -- rookie Jahmyr Gibbs -- should not only handle passing downs but could eat into Montgomery's role. Montgomery averaged 11.1 PPR points per game splitting in Chicago last season, a number he should be able to match in Motown with upside to hit the 13.3 PPR points Williams had in 2022. It's just enough to put him toward the top of the No. 3 running back group (and the very bottom of the No. 2 tier) as a worthy Round 6 pick.
Lions' David Montgomery: Explodes for three touchdowns
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Montgomery rushed 32 times for 121 yards with three touchdowns while catching both of his targets for 20 yards during Thursday's 34-20 win over Green Bay.
Despite speculation over Montgomery's level of involvement coming off a thigh injury, the veteran back wound up reclaiming full control of the backfield from rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who finished with eight carries and five targets. The extent to which he did so was nothing short of shocking, as Montgomery tied his career high in rushing attempts. With four touchdowns in his first three games with the Lions, Montgomery appears to have picked up right where Jamaal Williams left off in 2022. The good times could keep rolling in a Week 5 matchup with a Panthers team that has allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns (six) through the end of Week 3.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Back in action in Week 4
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Montgomery (thigh) is listed as active Thursday at Green Bay.
Despite conflicting reports about his availability for Week 4 earlier Thursday, Montgomery will miss just one game as a result of the bruised left thigh that he suffered Week 2 against the Seahawks. Considering he was listed as limited on Lions practice reports Monday through Wednesday, though, there's a chance he'll be operating on a snap count Thursday. Prior to the aforementioned injury, Montgomery racked up 37 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns and hauled in his only target for seven yards in a little more than six quarters of action. If Montgomery is unable to handle such a workload, rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs will be the primary beneficiary in the Lions backfield.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Likely to play Thursday
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Montgomery (thigh) is expected to suit up versus the Packers on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Pelissero's latest report corrects one from earlier in the day, when he reported that Montgomery and left tackle Taylor Decker (ankle) -- both of whom are listed as questionable -- weren't on track to play Thursday. Even though he was tagged as a limited participant for each of the Lions' three walk-through sessions this week, Montgomery looks as though he'll be ready to return from a one-game absence due to the right thigh injury. In any case, confirmation on Montgomery's status will come when Detroit releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, and fantasy managers will likely want to monitor the situation until then. Pelissero relays that Montgomery is expected to reclaim duties as the Lions' lead back Thursday, which could result in Jahmyr Gibbs falling below a 50 percent snap share like he did in both of the first two weeks of the season.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Not expected to play Thursday
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Montgomery (thigh), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Packers, isn't expected to play, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Pelissero notes that earlier in the week the Lions had some optimism regarding the availability of Montgomery, but the team appears inclined to err on the side of caution with the running back and hold him out for one more game. Confirmation on Montgomery's status will arrive when the Lions release their inactive list approximately 90 minutes prior to Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, but assuming Montgomery ends up being sidelined, Jahmyr Gibbs would once again be in line to see an expanded role as Detroit's lead back.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Montgomery (thigh) is expected to play Thursday night at Green Bay after missing Week 3, and he should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues. He should return to his role as the leader in carries for Detroit, and he scored a rushing touchdown in each of the first two games. The Packers have allowed two running backs to score at least 17.5 PPR points this season, and Montgomery has scored at least 14.1 PPR points in five games in a row against Green Bay dating back to his time in Chicago.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Questionable after limited practice
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Montgomery (thigh) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game in Green Bay, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.
The Lions held walk-through practices each day this week and listed Montgomery as a limited participant for every one. Left tackle Taylor Decker (ankle) and left guard Jonah Jackson (thigh) also carrying questionable tags into Thursday after being listed as limited Monday through Wednesday, while right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee) and swing tackle Matt Nelson (ankle) are already ruled out. The Lions can't expect great run-blocking with so many linemen banged up, and at this point it's not clear if Montgomery of Jahmyr Gibbs will be spearheading the rushing attack. Montgomery may end up a game-time decision ahead of Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, with his availability having a huge impact on Gibbs' fantasy value after the rookie took on more carries Week 3 (17) than in Weeks 1 and 2 combined (14).
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Lions' David Montgomery: Another limited listing
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Montgomery (thigh) was limited at Tuesday's walkthrough.
After hurting his thigh in Week 2 versus the Seahawks, Montgomery was unable to practice at all prior to being inactive this past Sunday against the Falcons. This week, he's been estimated as a limited participant on both of the Lions' initial injury reports, but coach Dan Campbell relayed Tuesday that he's "starting to feel pretty good about" Montgomery suiting up Thursday at Green Bay.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Trending in right direction
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Lions coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday that he's optimistic that Montgomery (thigh) will be able to play in Thursday's game versus the Packers.
Montgomery missed Week 3 due to a thigh bruise but was listed as a limited participant on Monday's estimated practice report. His return would likely mean less usage for rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs, who saw 17 rushing attempts versus Atlanta after garnering just 14 through the first two weeks of the season.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Listed as limited Monday
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Montgomery (thigh) was a limited participant on Monday's practice estimate.
Montgomery was injured Week 2 against Seattle and didn't suit up for Sunday's 20-6 win over Atlanta. In Montgomery's absence, Jahmyr Gibbs took on a workhorse role with 17 carries for 80 yards, while Craig Reynolds and Zonovan Knight combined for 28 yards on seven carries. Montgomery's limited participation Monday suggests he has a chance to return for Thursday's game in Green Bay, though Tuesday's injury report will provide clarification on that front.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Inactive for Week 3 matchup
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Montgomery (thigh) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Falcons.
Montgomery's inactive status comes as little surprise after the right thigh injury kept him from practicing Wednesday through Friday before he took a doubtful designation into the weekend. With Montgomery now officially sitting out the Week 3 matchup, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs is expected to be in store for an expanded role out of the Detroit backfield. Craig Reynolds and Zonovan Knight will be the available depth options behind Gibbs.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Deemed doubtful
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Montgomery (thigh) didn't practice Friday and is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Eric Woodyard of ESPN.com reports.
Montgomery already said he expected to miss time and then went through the week without practicing. He thus seems highly unlikely to play, though the Lions will leave the door open with a 'doubtful' designation in case Montgomery's thigh bruise improves dramatically between Friday evening and Sunday morning. The Falcons and Lions are scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff in a game that figures to draw extra attention from the fantasy world thanks to the presence of rookie RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. Just don't be surprised if Craig Reynolds (for the Lions) and Tyler Allgeier (for the Falcons) also get a bunch of carries.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Misses another practice
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Montgomery (thigh) remained sidelined during Thursday's practice, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.
Montgomery also missed Wednesday's session, which sets the stage for Friday's practice to loom large for the running back in terms of his chances of suiting up Sunday versus the Falcons. If Montgomery is unavailable this weekend, Jahmyr Gibbs would be in a position to see added touches Week 3, with Craig Reynolds and Zonovan Knight on hand to serve as complementary options in Detroit's backfield.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Labeled day-to-day
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Coach Dan Campbell said Monday that Montgomery (thigh) is day-to-day, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Montgomery said after Sunday's overtime loss to the Seahawks that he expects to need "a couple weeks" to fully recover from his bruised thigh, but Campbell offered a more optimistic timetable. It may be that Montgomery is day-to-day in terms of actual game-time availability, meaning he could be on the field Week 3 versus the Falcons, but that truly getting back to full health will require more time. If Montgomery needs to miss game action or is limited when on the field, rookie backfield mate Jahmyr Gibbs will have a path to increased touches.
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Lions' David Montgomery: May face multi-week recovery
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Montgomery (thigh) said it will take him "a couple weeks" to get fully healthy after being forced out of Sunday's 37-31 overtime loss to the Seahawks late in the third quarter, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Coach Dan Campbell said Montgomery suffered a bruised thigh. It remains to be seen whether the veteran running back will be able to play through the injury before returning to full strength, or whether he could be facing a multi-game absence. In either scenario, the Lions figure to lean more heavily on rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs, beginning in Week 3 versus the Falcons. Craig Reynolds could also potentially handle an expanded depth role.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Has thigh bruise
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Coach Dan Campbell said Montgomery sustained a bruised thigh during Sunday's 37-31 overtime loss to the Seahawks, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.
Prior to his departure late in the third quarter, Montgomery had 16 carries for 67 yards and one touchdown, one seven-yard catch and a lost fumble. Campbell relayed that the Lions will have more information on the running back Monday, likely after Montgomery undergoes a battery of tests. If Montgomery is forced to miss any time, his replacement in Detroit's backfield will be rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, who notched 14 touches for 56 yards from scrimmage Sunday.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Scores before leaving injured
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Montgomery (thigh) rushed 16 times for 67 yards and a touchdown but lost a fumble in Sunday's 37-31 overtime loss to the Seahawks. He also caught his only target for seven yards but was subsequently carted off after being injured late in the third quarter.
Montgomery turned the ball over on Detroit's first play of the second half. After having a touchdown reception negated on the next drive, he still finished that series with a four-yard score to atone for his mistake. His next time out, though, Montgomery was twisted awkwardly after making a catch, forcing him to exit the game and not return. While it was another productive performance prior to his departure, Montgomery's status going forward is now uncertain. If he's limited or unavailable, rookie first-rounder Jahmyr Gibbs would figure to benefit from increased usage.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Carted off Sunday
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Montgomery (right leg) was carted to the locker room during Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Montgomery got his right leg twisted up by a Seattle defender at the end of a seven-yard catch late in the third quarter. The nature of the injury isn't known, but he had 16 carries for 67 yards and one touchdown and the aforementioned reception at the time of his departure. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs will take over the Lions backfield for the time being.
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Lions' David Montgomery: RBs to Start
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Jahmyr Gibbs should go off in this game, especially if the Lions play him more than just the 19 snaps he had in Week 1 at Kansas City. He looked impressive with six missed tackles on his seven carries, and he's a definite starter in all leagues in Week 2 against Seattle. But Montgomery isn't going away, and Lions coach Dan Campbell clearly loves his bruising running back. Montgomery played 55 snaps against the Chiefs and finished with 21 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown. His lack of work in the passing game is discouraging, but Montgomery should be a candidate to score each week. And in Week 1, the Seahawks allowed three rushing touchdowns to the Rams duo of Kyren Williams (two) and Cam Akers. Also, when these teams met in Detroit in Week 4 last year, Jamaal Williams had 19 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
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Lions' David Montgomery: Should inherit goal-line role
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Montgomery is expected to take over as the Lions' goal-line running back in 2023 in addition to sharing work with Jahmyr Gibbs on early downs, Colton Pouncy of The Athletic reports.
Detroit opted to overhaul its running-back room this offseason, bringing in Montgomery on a three-year, $18 million deal in free agency and selecting Gibbs in the first round of the draft while bidding adieu to Jamaal Williams in free agency and trading D'Andre Swift to Philadelphia. Montgomery will essentially be serving as the Williams replacement, a role that could be fruitful after Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns in 2022. While he shouldn't be expected to see nearly as many goal-line carries as Williams did a season ago nor cash in on those opportunities as frequently, Montgomery would be a worthy investment for fantasy managers if he can reach half of Williams' touchdown total from a year ago. And while the Lions envision the talented Gibbs holding a key role on offense right out of the gate, the coaching staff may take advantage of the rookie's pass-catching skills by deploying him in the slot as well as out of the backfield. As such, there may be scenarios where both Montgomery and Gibbs share the field, and the former should be much more involved in the passing game than Williams was in his lone season in Detroit. Montgomery averaged three catches per game and 6.6 yards per target over his final three years in Chicago, while Williams recorded just 12 catches in total and averaged 4.6 yards per target while playing the full 17-game slate in 2022.
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Lions' David Montgomery: RBs to Start
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This should be a great game for Jahmyr Gibbs because the Chiefs are annually horrible at stopping pass-catching running backs, and he's a must-start option in Week 1, especially in PPR. But Montgomery should be considered a must-start option as well with standout Kansas City defensive lineman Chris Jones unlikely to play because of his holdout. In what should be a high-scoring affair with a projected over-under of 52.5, look for Montgomery to finish as a top-15 running back in all leagues.
