Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Chase Brown

Friday, October 10, 5:55 PM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery logged a season-high 18 carries in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing with 65 rushing yards and a touchdown. The 28-year-old also tossed the second touchdown pass of his career on a trick play. Heading into a Week 6 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Montgomery should be expected to return to the 1B role in the Lions' backfield alongside Jahmyr Gibbs. Kansas City has been surprisingly subpar against the run so far this season, ranking 24th in rushing touchdowns allowed (six) and 26th in yards per carry allowed (4.8). Montgomery's limited touch ceiling while playing next to Gibbs makes him reliant on touchdowns for fantasy production, but he looks like a decent bet to find the end zone against the Chiefs. In Week 6, Montgomery profiles as a low-end fantasy RB2.

Saturday, October 11, 11:34 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown hasn't played well this season. After scoring a touchdown in the Bengals' Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, the 25-year-old hasn't visited the end zone since then. He only had eight carries for 27 yards in Week 5 versus the Lions. Fortunately, Brown made up for it by catching seven of his eight targets for 21 yards. Cincinnati won the first two games of the 2025 campaign. Unfortunately, the Bengals have lost their last three contests, so the team is desperately looking for a win in Week 6 against Green Bay. Joe Flacco, who was recently acquired in a trade with the Browns, will get the start under center for that one. However, Flacco's knowledge of the playbook will presumably be limited, meaning Brown may see more touches than normal while potentially getting an uptick in short passes out of the backfield. With that said, the Packers defense has been a challenge for opposing offenses throughout the year, which isn't good news for Brown, Flacco, Ja'Marr Chase (illness), and Tee Higgins. Still, the 2023 No. 163 overall pick remains worthy of a start in all fantasy formats based on his upside alone, especially for managers with limited options at the running back position.