Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Rhamondre Stevenson

Friday, December 20, 6:20 PM

The Detroit Lions are still deciding on whether to place running back David Montgomery (knee) on Injured Reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games. Head coach Dan Campbell said the team is "optimistic" about Montgomery's ability to return in the playoffs despite suffering an MCL injury in last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, the team still has a decision to make on whether to put Monty on IR. "It certainly sounds more optimistic, that's the best way to say it," Campbell said. If Detroit puts him on IR before their game this Sunday against the division-rival Chicago Bears, Montgomery would not be available to play in the Lions' first playoff game, which might not be until the Divisional Round if the team secures the top overall seed in the NFC. The 27-year-old is out of play in fantasy leagues for the rest of the year, though, with Jahmyr Gibbs now set to take on an even bigger role.

Friday, December 20, 10:56 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson could have an opportunity to demonstrate his pass-catching upside during Sunday's Week 16 game against the Buffalo Bills. New England faces Buffalo two times over the next three weeks, and this Sunday's contest could set the tone for Stevenson to win back some of the opportunities that he has ceded to Antonio Gibson lately. While Buffalo has been solid against the run, they're porous against pass-catching running backs. In fact, the Bills have allowed the most catches, most receiving yards, and second-most receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs in 2024. That bodes well for Stevenson, who has multiple catches in nine of his 13 games this season. He has caught an impressive 32 of 39 passes thrown his way this year, which is a higher total than Gibson, his backfield-mate. Touchdown opportunities have been limited for Stevenson this year, which means his fantasy managers need him to catch passes to produce points. There's no better matchup than the Bills for this to happen. As a result, he ranks as a high-end RB3 in most leagues as the fantasy playoffs carry on.