Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Isaac Guerendo

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.

Monday, December 22, 7:11 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James is active for Monday's Week 16 contest against the Indianapolis Colts and is on track to make his NFL debut. The rookie had previously been a healthy scratch, but he's getting a chance to play on primetime television, perhaps in a mix of special teams and offensive depth roles. He's taking the spot of fellow rookie Isaac Guerendo, who is a healthy scratch for the first time in his young career. Guerendo has contributed on special teams this year, but he doesn't have an offensive snap yet. Both running backs remain buried on the depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr.