Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Trey McBride

Friday, December 19, 11:28 PM

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery enters his Week 16 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on a hot streak, as he's recorded a rushing touchdown in three straight contests. However, Montgomery's recent usage paints a more worrying picture for his production. The 28-year-old has recorded double-digit touches just once in his last five games, and he's played fewer than 40% of the Lions' offensive snaps in six out of the last seven contests. Montgomery's limited workload makes him highly dependent on touchdowns for fantasy production, which may be hard to come by against Pittsburgh. Entering Week 16, the Steelers defense has allowed just 10 rushing touchdowns on the season, which ranks tied for fifth-fewest in the NFL. Montgomery profiles as a low-end flex option for fantasy managers in Week 16.

Saturday, December 20, 4:02 PM

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride remains a top fantasy option despite a difficult matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. On paper, it may appear that the odds are stacked against McBride. Not only is he facing a Falcons defense that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2025, but he could also face additional competition if Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel, questionable) returns from his two-game absence. However, McBride has consistently established himself as matchup-proof this year, so he should feast despite facing Atlanta. Furthermore, he could still lead the team in targets and catches, even if Harrison does return to the mix. In total this year, the 26-year-old has 105 catches, 1,071 yards, and a career-high 10 touchdowns. He is on track to finish this year as the overall TE1 in PPR leagues after finishing 2024 as the TE2. McBride has especially benefited from the presence of quarterback Jacoby Brissett. In full-PPR leagues, he averaged 12.5 fantasy points per game with Kyler Murray (foot) as the starter, and a whopping 23.3 fantasy points per game with Brissett as the starter. We should expect more otherworldly, video-game numbers from McBride this week. He's the undisputed TE1 in this week's fantasy rankings and should be a must-start as the fantasy playoffs continue.