David Montgomery

David Montgomery now finds himself as the Texans's do it all workhorse for 2026. Last year, he was phased out of the Lions' offensive plans as the season moved along, which led to his RB32 finish in fantasy points per game. In Weeks 12-18, he was the RB43 in fantasy points per game with a 32.1% snap rate, 8.2 touches per game, and only 42.8 total yards per game. Montgomery still has the juice to produce as a workhorse this season. Last season, he ranked 30th in missed tackle rate, but he was 12th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). His receiving chops are also still alive and well, as he was also 22nd in yards per route run and 12th in first downs per route run. Many will worry that Montgomery will split Houston's backfield workload with Woody Marks this season, but I don't see that happening. Montgomery should absorb a workload close to what Joe Mixon saw in 2024. In 2024, Mixon ranked fifth in opportunity share, 14th in snap share, and 13th in carries among running backs, finishing with 281 touches. Last season, Montgomery bested Marks in explosive run rate, missed tackle rate, rushing success rate, yards after contact per attempt, and yards per route run. Legit, every per-touch metric that I care about. Montgomery is the superior back, even at this stage of his career, and he'll be a strong volume-driven RB2 that could flirt with RB1 production.

David Montgomery has been traded to the Houston Texans. Houston is sending a fourth rounder, OL Juice Scruggs, and a seventh back to Detroit.

Fantasy Impact

Montgomery had made it known he wanted a new opportunity given his lack of usage last year, and the Texans came calling. Monty offers a big upgrade over Nick Chubb as the primary thumper, and his ability in the passing game could easily endanger Woody Marks value as well. For dynasty, it’s great for Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs managers, while Marks managers will have to deal with a much bigger threat to any potential volume. This also likely means Joe Mixon, who missed all of last season, is done in Houston.