Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Monday, September 15, 11:17 PM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in his team's 52-21 Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears. Since joining the Lions, Montgomery has been one of the NFL's most consistent red-zone backs. The 28-year-old has not gone consecutive games within a season without scoring a touchdown since December 2023. On a less positive note for fantasy managers, Montgomery appears set for a secondary role behind Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit this season. Although Gibbs only earned one more carry than Montgomery in Week 2, Montgomery was on the field for 10 fewer snaps. The veteran has also recorded seven fewer touches than his backfield mate through the first two games of the season. Montgomery remains a consistent flex option in fantasy, but he'll likely be reliant on finding the end zone again to produce in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Wednesday, September 17, 7:49 AM

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is listed as the team's starting running back, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Throughout the first two weeks of the season, Croskey-Merritt has had a sizeable role in the offense, but he has typically been deployed as the No. 2 option, behind Austin Ekeler. However, with Ekeler suffering a torn Achilles during their Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers, it appears the rookie will see an uptick in workload. In Week 1, the first-round rookie made an immediate impact, totaling 82 yards and a score on 10 attempts. However, in the second week, he took a step back, earning just four attempts for 17 yards. However, fantasy managers should expect the Arizona product to see double-digit attempts weekly, given his new placement on the depth chart. Croskey-Merritt carries low-end RB2 value heading into a Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.