Who Should I Start? David Montgomery or Dameon Pierce

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, May 2, 4:48 PM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce had a notable rookie campaign after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In just 13 games before being sidelined with injuries, he racked up 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries and caught 30 passes for 165 yards and one score. However, his role, production, and efficiency declined in 2023 after the arrival of Devin Singletary, as he posted just 517 total yards and rushed for 2.9 yards per carry. Singletary is now gone, but the team traded for former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Despite this, Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke highly of Pierce in a recent media availability. "He is going to be a big part of what we're doing. Watching him move on the field, he looks pretty good. Everybody's looking forward to the opportunity in front of them; you can't worry about what's happened in the past," Caserio said. "He's got as good an attitude as anyone on the team. We're glad DP is here." While you never know whether a head coach or general manager is being honest in these situations, Caserio's comments can only help his fantasy stock. Fantasy managers should go into the season with low expectations for Pierce, but he should at least be viewed as a high-end handcuff running back in what projects to be one of the league's best offenses.