Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or David Montgomery

Tuesday, July 22, 5:34 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) and offensive tackle Trent Williams (ankle) are both "here and healthy" at training camp, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Both players are ready to go, but their workloads will be managed throughout camp. McCaffrey was an absolute bust for fantasy managers in 2024, as he ended up missing 13 games, first due to Achilles tendinitis in both his legs, and then due to a PCL sprain in his right knee. The 29-year-old also took part in offseason activities and looked healthy then, so he shouldn't be limited in any way once the 2025 regular season begins. While CMC still has game-changing abilities and will be heavily featured in San Fran's offense, he has slipped to RB5 in RotoBaller's rankings because of his penchant for injury. McCaffrey is about as risk/reward as they come.

Tuesday, July 22, 1:52 PM

DetroitLions.com's Tim Twentyman reports that he's seen Detroit Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery on the field together over the first three training camp practices, maybe more than he can remember in the last two years. It appears that new offensive coordinator John Morton likes the Gibbs-Monty combination and the pressure they can put on opposing defenses. Despite the presence of Montgomery in Detroit's backfield, Gibbs is a surefire top-five fantasy RB entering his third NFL season. The former first-rounder has been a Pro Bowler in both of his seasons and ran for 1,412 yards and a league-high 16 touchdowns on 250 carries a year ago, adding 52 catches for the second straight year, 517 yards and four more TDs. Montgomery is dangerous in his own right and had 1,000 yards rushing in 2023, but he's not the all-around stud that Gibbs is.