Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or RJ Harvey

Thursday, December 25, 3:30 PM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (illness) will be active for Thursday's road bout with the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day, per the team. The veteran appeared on Detroit's practice report on Tuesday, missing the session due to illness. After logging a limited practice on Wednesday, it would seem Montgomery will be able to play anyway, and figures to assume his typical allotment of snaps behind teammate Jahmyr Gibbs as the Lions attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive. Notably, the seventh-year pro has seen his snap count steadily dwindle since Week 11, dropping under 20 plays in each of his last three appearances, compared with just once over the season's first 13 weeks. Correlatively, he'll offer little more than flex appeal with Gibbs dominating time and touches in the backfield.

Saturday, January 3, 1:57 PM

Denver Broncos running back R.J. Harvey has been producing as a top-five back in fantasy since the Week 12 bye. With J.K. Dobbins (foot) suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 10, Harvey has stepped into a workhorse role for the Broncos. Over the past five games, the rookie second-rounder is averaging 19.3 PPR points per game, scoring six total touchdowns. The UCF product hasn't been overly dynamic on his touches, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, but has been very involved in the pass game, catching 18 balls during that five-game span. Harvey profiles as a strong RB1 again in Week 18, though it is a tough matchup against a Los Angeles Chargers defense that has allowed the fourth fewest PPR points per game to running backs this season.