Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Rhamondre Stevenson

Sunday, January 21, 6:33 PM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery rushed ten times for 33 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards in the 31-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His final stats in the NFC Divisional Round were far from impressive, but he remains a key piece of the team's offense despite the emergence of rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. The 49ers allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs during the regular season, so Montgomery could be in for another hard-fought day in the NFC Championship Game. That said, he scored 14 touchdowns in the regular season and Wild Card Rounds combined, so he remains a DFS consideration.

Thursday, June 20, 4:10 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson agreed to a four-year, $36 million contract extension on Thursday, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The deal includes $17 million guaranteed. While the team can get out of the deal early and less than half of it is guaranteed, this is still a sign that the organization views him as the clear leadback. The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022, racking up over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in 17 games. He was limited to just 12 games and 857 yards in 2023, but he should be healthy heading into his fourth pro season. While Antonio Gibson might get work behind him in the receiving game, both running backs could see plenty of targets given the weak group of pass-catchers Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett have to work with. Stevenson is likely an underpriced RB2 for 2024.