David Montgomery Fantasy Stats

Running back David Montgomery, recently acquired via trade by the Houston Texans, has had his contract upgraded by the team, with the two-year deal now worth up to $16.5 million. The revised contract, which features a $6.5 million signing bonus and heavy per-game active roster bonuses, signals that the Texans view him as their clear starter following a season in which rookie Woody Marks led the team in carries, but no back topped 200 attempts or more than 13 carries per game. Playing in a supporting role to Pro-Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit, Montgomery has also failed to reach the 200-carry mark in either of the past two seasons, giving him relatively fresh legs as he prepares for his age-29 campaign.

ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime writes that running back David Montgomery will enter the 2026 season as the "No. 1 back" for the Houston Texans after they acquired him from the Detroit Lions for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs and two draft picks. Montgomery had 2,506 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Lions. The Texans were led last year by fourth-round rookie Woody Marks and veteran Nick Chubb and ranked 22nd in rushing yards per game (108). Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) missed the entire season and is expected to be released soon. Marks led the Texans with 703 rushing yards in his first year in the NFL, but it sounds like he'll take on more of a complementary role going into Year 2. Montgomery was unhappy with his role in Detroit last year behind Jahmyr Gibbs, as he had his fewest carries (158) and touches (182) in a season in his career despite playing in all 17 games. The 28-year-old should see more opportunities in Houston, although Marks won't suddenly go away, and Houston's offensive line was a weakness last year.

The Houston Texans have acquired running back David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions in exchange for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Montgomery remains productive at 28 years old, as he's coming off a solid 2025 season in which he totaled 716 rushing yards, 192 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. He was the overall RB27 in full-PPR leagues, which was actually the lowest finish of his career. Still, it's impressive that he has been RB27 or higher every year, even when sharing a backfield with superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit. Montgomery will continue to share touches in Houston, where Woody Marks is coming off his rookie season. The veteran presumably has a strong chance to earn the lead-back role after Marks was relatively inefficient with just 3.6 yards per carry and only scored two rushing touchdowns. As Pelissero notes, general manager Nick Caserio could be hoping that Montgomery enjoys a resurgence similar to that of Joe Mixon, who had 1,325 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns after being traded to the Texans in 2024. Montgomery ranks a bit higher in redraft leagues than dynasty formats due to his age, but he's still a strong RB2 or RB3 in both. Meanwhile, Marks drops to the low-end RB3/flex tier in redraft leagues, but he could be an intriguing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues if the Montgomery trade prompts managers to panic sell.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery "wants out." Montgomery is owed only $6 million in 2026 and is still on the right side of 30 years old, which should make him attractive on the trade market. The "word out of Indy" is that the Lions would "want a decent Day 3 pick" (potentially a fifth-rounder) in exchange for Montgomery. Fowler adds that the Seattle Seahawks would make a lot of sense for Monty if they don't re-sign impending free-agent RB Kenneth Walker III. The 28-year-old has seen his role shrink in Detroit in each of the last two seasons behind do-it-all back Jahmyr Gibbs. In 17 games in 2025, Montgomery had a career-low 158 carries for a career-low 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while catching 24 passes for 192 yards as a receiver. If he finishes out his contract in Detroit, he'll most likely be a distant No. 2 behind Gibbs again.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that he's "been in touch" with running back David Montgomery and his agent and that they've had "healthy dialogue," according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN. "Those conversations are still fluid, and we'll just see how it goes," Holmes said during the NFL combine. Releasing the 28-year-old would save the team $3.5 million. Monty's role has shrunk in each of the last two years, and he really saw his involvement evaporate down the stretch in 2025. In 17 games played, the former third-rounder by the Chicago Bears in 2019 out of Iowa State had a career-low 158 carries for a career-low 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He added 24 catches for 192 scoreless yards as a receiver. Montgomery might be more of a distant No. 2 behind Jahmyr Gibbs in 2026 if he sticks around, but a RB-needy team might be willing to trade for him this offseason.

Since signing with the Detroit Lions as a free agent before the 2023 season, running back David Montgomery has been a key cog in the team's offensive resurgence. However, the 28-year-old saw a definitive downturn in his production in 2025, as star Lions back Jahmyr Gibbs took over a true lead role in the Detroit backfield. Across 17 games played, Montgomery recorded 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries. Over his last eight contests of 2025, Montgomery recorded more than eight rush attempts just once. At the conclusion of the regular season, Lions general manager Brad Holmes mentioned the possibility that the team could look to move on from Montgomery. While a change of scenery could help Montgomery's playing time outlook, he may no longer be able to handle a true RB1 workload as he enters his age-29 campaign. If Montgomery remains with the Lions, he likely profiles as a touchdown-dependent running back option with a limited upside for fantasy managers, unless Gibbs suffers an injury.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery is under contract through the 2027 season, but his future with the team could be up in the air this offseason. "Those are discussions that we're gonna have to have in-depth. We love David Montgomery. He's a good football player. ...He deserves to be in a situation where his skill set can be utilized," general manager Brad Holmes said when asked if Montgomery will remain with the team. If the Lions cut the 28-year-old in the offseason, they'll save $11.26 million but will also take on $8.6 million in dead money. Monty took a clear back seat to Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit's backfield in 2025. He was still a weekly RB3/flex consideration in fantasy football, though, and finished with a career-low 158 carries for 716 yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 17 games, adding 24 catches for 192 yards. Monty's 2026 fantasy value could look drastically different if he's playing in another city.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (illness) will be active for Thursday's road bout with the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day, per the team. The veteran appeared on Detroit's practice report on Tuesday, missing the session due to illness. After logging a limited practice on Wednesday, it would seem Montgomery will be able to play anyway, and figures to assume his typical allotment of snaps behind teammate Jahmyr Gibbs as the Lions attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive. Notably, the seventh-year pro has seen his snap count steadily dwindle since Week 11, dropping under 20 plays in each of his last three appearances, compared with just once over the season's first 13 weeks. Correlatively, he'll offer little more than flex appeal with Gibbs dominating time and touches in the backfield.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (illness) is expected to play on Christmas afternoon when the Lions face the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran RB was listed as a non-participant during Tuesday's practice session but upgraded to limited participation on Wednesday. However, he was still listed as questionable on the team's final injury report. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status leading up to kickoff, but it appears the 28-year-old is trending towards suiting up. Last weekend, Montgomery had a disappointing fantasy day, tallying just 14 yards on a mere four attempts during their loss to the Steelers. However, over his last three games (Weeks 13 through 15), Montgomery found the back of the end zone in each contest and averaged 12.1 PPR points per game. Managers should view Montgomery as a mid-end FLEX play, serving as the change-of-pace option behind Jahmyr Gibbs.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (illness) is officially questionable to play in his team's Week 17 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings after being limited in practice on Wednesday with an illness. If Montgomery is active, he will be looking to rebound from one of his least productive games as a Lion in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Montgomery recorded just four carries for 14 yards against Pittsburgh, marking his sixth straight outing with eight or fewer rush attempts. The 28-year-old also played just 13 snaps against the Steelers, his fewest in any game this season. On the bright side, Montgomery had a solid game in his first time out against Minnesota this season, recording 50 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 13 touches. Still, Montgomery's recent workload trend makes him tough for fantasy managers to trust. If active, Montgomery profiles as a low-end flex option in Week 17.