Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or James Cook

Monday, March 2, 6:10 AM

The Houston Texans have acquired running back David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions in exchange for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Montgomery remains productive at 28 years old, as he's coming off a solid 2025 season in which he totaled 716 rushing yards, 192 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. He was the overall RB27 in full-PPR leagues, which was actually the lowest finish of his career. Still, it's impressive that he has been RB27 or higher every year, even when sharing a backfield with superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit. Montgomery will continue to share touches in Houston, where Woody Marks is coming off his rookie season. The veteran presumably has a strong chance to earn the lead-back role after Marks was relatively inefficient with just 3.6 yards per carry and only scored two rushing touchdowns. As Pelissero notes, general manager Nick Caserio could be hoping that Montgomery enjoys a resurgence similar to that of Joe Mixon, who had 1,325 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns after being traded to the Texans in 2024. Montgomery ranks a bit higher in redraft leagues than dynasty formats due to his age, but he's still a strong RB2 or RB3 in both. Meanwhile, Marks drops to the low-end RB3/flex tier in redraft leagues, but he could be an intriguing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues if the Montgomery trade prompts managers to panic sell.