Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Chase Brown

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.

Monday, August 4, 1:50 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown is expected to see an uptick in his passing-game numbers in 2025 after he caught 14 passes for 156 yards a year ago, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Brown has worked to improve his receiving abilities, and head coach Zac Taylor thinks it can be a strength for him. Despite the fact that the Bengals have studs in the passing game with receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki, the expectation is that Brown "will serve as a safety valve in the screen game when defenses try to take away Chase or Higgins." The 25-year-old took over the backfield from Zack Moss (no longer on the team) last year and came 10 yards shy of reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark while adding 11 total touchdowns in 16 games (10 starts). Brown is the focal point of one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, making him a low-end RB1 target.