Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Bryce Young

Thursday, January 8, 7:31 PM

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.

Saturday, January 10, 12:30 PM

Across 16 games in 2025, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 63.6% of his pass attempts for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The 24-year-old proved himself to be an effective game manager, but he struggled to produce consistent fantasy production in Carolina's run-heavy offense. Young topped 200 passing yards in just four games during the regular season. The Panthers' offense will face a tough test in the first round of the NFC playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams. Los Angeles finished the regular season ranked 11th in the NFL in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.8) and tied for seventh in sacks (47). It's worth noting that Young was highly efficient in the Panthers' Week 13 win over the Rams, completing 15 of 20 pass attempts for 206 yards and three touchdowns without committing a turnover. However, Carolina leaned heavily into the run game in that matchup with 40 total rush attempts. That could be the game plan again in the playoffs, which would limit Young's opportunities for production. All in all, Young profiles as a difficult quarterback for fantasy managers in playoff leagues to trust against the Rams.