Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or David Montgomery

Monday, September 22, 12:34 PM

Although Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. wasn't all that efficient (3.5 yards per carry) in his 2025 debut in the team's 41-24 blowout win over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, he did lead the team with 11 carries. Rodriguez was a healthy scratch the first two weeks, but he was elevated to the active roster for Week 3 after Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2. The 24-year-old ran for 39 yards on his 11 carries and was not utilized in the passing game. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt was second on the team with eight carries, and he, too, was inefficient with just 26 yards on the ground. Jeremy McNichols and quarterback Marcus Mariota combined for 10 rushing attempts and two touchdowns against the Raiders. Croskey-Merritt has the most upside in the Commanders' backfield moving forward with Ekeler done for the year, but Rodriguez is worth a waiver-wire pickup if you have JCM rostered or are looking for RB depth. Rodriguez is currently rostered in only 5% of Yahoo leagues.

Friday, November 14, 10:51 PM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery rushed for an efficient 71 yards on 15 carries in a Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders, but he failed to score a touchdown for the third time in his last four games. The result was a modest fantasy performance for Montgomery, which will likely be the case every week that he fails to find the end zone. Montgomery has just 14 receptions across nine games this season, as fellow Lions back Jahmyr Gibbs is the clear receiving threat in Detroit's backfield. In Week 11, Montgomery and the Lions will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. While the Eagles' defense is a tough unit to score on overall, it is tied for the sixth-most rushing touchdowns allowed (11) in the NFL so far this season. If the Detroit offense can work its way into goal-to-go situations, Montgomery could have a decent chance to hit pay dirt. He profiles as a low-end fantasy RB2 in Week 11 against Philadelphia.