Fantasy Upside
David Montgomery proved the perfect "thunder" to Jahmyr Gibbs' "lightning", scoring 13 rushing touchdowns, nine of which came within the opponent's five-yard line. Even while missing three games and getting knocked out of Week 6 after one quarter, he finished as fantasy's overall RB13 in half-PPR scoring. It was everything fantasy managers could have asked for, knowing full well that he would be splitting time with the 12th overall selection of the NFL Draft. Even in a split backfield, Montgomery can produce RB2 numbers; if Gibbs misses any time, he will operate as a no-doubt RB1.
Fantasy Downside
Gibbs only demanded 40.6% of the team's backfield carries in Year 1, and if that number is going to grow, it will come at Montgomery's expense. That's not entirely out of the question, considering the real-life draft capital they spent on the Alabama product.
2024 Bottom Line
Last season, David Montgomery finished fourth in attempts from both the 5 and 2-yard-line, and he should be locked into that same role on a team projected to score the second-most points in the 2024 season. He has a safe touch floor, even with Gibbs garnering far more targets, and the high probability for multi-score games gives him a ceiling, even if both backs play a full 17 games.
