Lions Signing David Montgomery has a big Impact on Fantasy Football

The former Bears running back stays in the NFC North with the move to Detroit.

The first big-name free agent running back is off the board, as the Lions have signed David Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million deal. He’ll take over the role Jamaal Williams thrived in last year, as he scored a franchise-best 17 touchdowns.

Montgomery is coming off a subpar season in the stat sheets, posting 891 rushing yards, six total touchdowns and 177.7 fantasy points. That was good enough for him to finish as the RB24. Unfortunately, his rushing yards and touchdowns have declined in three straight years. He has also seen his fantasy points per game average drop from 17.6 (2020) to 15 (2021) all the way to just 11.1 this past year.

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On the downside, Montgomery will also be contending with D’Andre Swift for touches in the Motor City. That’s going to cap his fantasy ceiling (and that of Swift) to that of a flex starter in most drafts. However, Montgomery could push for RB2 value because Swift hasn’t been durable at the pro level. As for Williams, he's as good as gone in Detroit. (I'd love to see him in an Eagles uniform).

In Chicago, Khalil Herbert could be a real fantasy winner as a result of this move. Unless the Bears add another back, which is possible since they have a ton of draft picks, Hebert would be on the RB2/flex radar and a potential breakout back.