David Montgomery DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery rushed seven times for 28 yards during Saturday's playoff loss to the Washington Commanders. He also threw a pass for 20 yards. Montgomery returned from a multi-week absence caused by a knee injury. As expected, he took a backseat to Jahmyr Gibbs, who had twice as many carries and also saw a whopping 11 targets. Montgomery's ability to convert in short-yardage situations makes him a special running back, but there's no denying that he lacks the shiftiness, receiving skills, and big-play upside of Gibbs. Nevertheless, the two continue to form the best running back duo in the NFL. Heading into 2025, Montgomery will have standalone value as a high-end RB3, and he'll also be a premier handcuff option in case Gibbs gets hurt.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (knee) is off the injury report and good to go for Saturday's playoff game against the Washington Commanders. The veteran back has been sidelined since suffering an MCL sprain during their Week 15 contest against the Buffalo Bills. While sidelined, sophomore running back Jahmyr Gibbs has taken complete control of the backfield. However, with Montgomery back in the mix, fantasy managers should expect both of them to share the backfield throughout the remainder of the postseason. During the first 13 games of the season, Montgomery averaged 13.8 carries per game with 59.3 rushing yards per game. During this stretch, he found the back of the end zone 12 times and saw 17 total carries within the five-yard line. While Gibbs carries the higher ceiling, given his elite speed, Montgomery is a high-floor RB2, given his role in short-yardage situations and in the red zone. Fantasy managers should feel confident viewing him as an RB2 in all DFS competitions this weekend against Washington.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (knee) was a full-go in practice on Wednesday for the second straight day this week. Montgomery said that he's "ready to go" for the Divisional Round game this Saturday versus the visiting Washington Commanders despite spraining his MCL in the Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 27-year-old missed the final three weeks of the regular season but had an extra week to rest with Detroit on bye during the wild-card round of the playoffs. It's great news for the Lions backfield that Monty will be available this weekend, as he has been the tone-setter for the team's ground game the last two seasons. He had 775 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries over 14 games before his knee injury, adding 36 catches for 341 yards through the air. The potential for fewer touches alongside Jahmyr Gibbs this Saturday will make him a more volatile fantasy asset, though.