Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or RJ Harvey

Saturday, February 14, 7:01 AM

Since signing with the Detroit Lions as a free agent before the 2023 season, running back David Montgomery has been a key cog in the team's offensive resurgence. However, the 28-year-old saw a definitive downturn in his production in 2025, as star Lions back Jahmyr Gibbs took over a true lead role in the Detroit backfield. Across 17 games played, Montgomery recorded 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries. Over his last eight contests of 2025, Montgomery recorded more than eight rush attempts just once. At the conclusion of the regular season, Lions general manager Brad Holmes mentioned the possibility that the team could look to move on from Montgomery. While a change of scenery could help Montgomery's playing time outlook, he may no longer be able to handle a true RB1 workload as he enters his age-29 campaign. If Montgomery remains with the Lions, he likely profiles as a touchdown-dependent running back option with a limited upside for fantasy managers, unless Gibbs suffers an injury.

Saturday, February 14, 6:12 AM

Across 17 games as a rookie in 2025, Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey recorded 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns on 193 touches. The 25-year-old opened the season in a relatively limited RB2 role behind veteran Broncos back J.K. Dobbins. However, Dobbins suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 10, opening the door for Harvey to take on more backfield work. From Week 11 onwards, Harvey recorded 507 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns. Heading into 2026, Harvey looks well-positioned to take over as Denver's full-time lead back as Dobbins is set to hit free agency this spring. The Broncos could easily re-sign Dobbins or bring in a different veteran back to ease Harvey's workload. Still, the trajectory of Harvey's rookie season indicates he's a player on the rise, and his fantasy stock in dynasty formats should be trending upward after 2025.