Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Ricky Pearsall

Monday, December 15, 11:14 AM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery recorded just seven carries for 32 yards in his team's Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but he salvaged his fantasy production by recording his eighth rushing touchdown of the season. The 28-year-old has now recorded a rushing touchdown in three straight games. However, his workload in Detroit continues to be limited as he plays a backup role to Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery has recorded double-digit touches just once in his last five games and has not played more than 39% of Detroit's offensive snaps in any game since Week 10. Montgomery has touchdown upside every week, but he also remains entirely reliant on touchdowns for fantasy production as long as Gibbs remains healthy. The Lions will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16.

Monday, December 15, 5:40 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) aggravated his PCL injury in the Week 15 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and also sprained his ankle, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he's unsure if Pearsall will practice this week as the team prepares to face the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night in Week 16. The 25-year-old former first-rounder will have an extra day to recover this week, but based on the fact that he missed six games earlier this year after spraining his PCL initially in Week 4, it seems highly unlikely that Pearsall will be cleared to play on Monday. It's really bad timing for Pearsall and his fantasy managers, as he caught six of seven targets for 96 yards in the win over the Titans on Sunday while battling through his knee injury and a low-ankle sprain. If Pearsall misses additional time, Kendrick Bourne could be on the flex radar again in deeper fantasy leagues behind Jauan Jennings.