Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Chase Brown

Thursday, December 25, 3:30 PM

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.

Wednesday, December 31, 4:56 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (illness) did not take part in practice on Wednesday because he was under the weather, according to the team's official website. Brown should be feeling better by the weekend and should be able to suit up for the Week 18 regular-season finale versus the division-rival Cleveland Browns. The Bengals are out of the playoff picture, but they have every intention of playing their starters to try and finish strong. Despite Cincy's disappointing season, the 25-year-old Brown has been a strong contributor for his fantasy managers, carrying the ball 219 times for 947 yards and six touchdowns on the ground in 16 starts. He's added a career-high 65 receptions for 419 yards and four more TDs on 82 targets. Brown will be looking to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career, giving him plenty of incentive to finish strong for his fantasy managers.