David Montgomery instantly shot up the fantasy football rankings after a solid performance in Week 1 on Thursday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. Fantasy managers were by and large skeptical of his role in the Detroit Lions offense, but Montgomery proved that he’s worth looking at as a solid option week in and week out.
Unfortunately, Montgomery suffered a thigh injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks that has put his Week 3 status up in the air. What’s the latest news, and should fantasy managers expect to have him available this week?
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Latest News Surrounding David Montgomery
There have been some conflicting signals coming out of Detroit regarding Montgomery and the length of time he is expected to be sidelined. A wide range of reports have come trickling in that he could potentially be day-to-day, or he may end up missing several weeks.
While it still remains to be seen whether or not Montgomery will miss Week 3, it wasn’t a good sign that the veteran RB missed practice on Wednesday to begin the week with his thigh injury.
The following players are NOT practicing Wednesday:
🔘 Isiah Pacheco (hamstring)
🔘 Bryce Young (ankle)
🔘 Amon-Ra St. Brown (toe) 📸
🔘 Kadarius Toney (toe)
🔘 Anthony Richardson (concussion)
🔘 David Montgomery (thigh)Who are you MOST concerned about? pic.twitter.com/9AqANmiRt4
— Mojo Fantasy (@mojo) September 20, 2023
We still have multiple other practices here this week to monitor Montgomery’s status going into their matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, so the practice reports from Thursday and Friday will be crucial to monitor.
Update: Montgomery was not spotted at practice on Thursday.
Will Montgomery Play This Week?
It’s too early to tell for certain one way or another if Montgomery is going to be able to play on Sunday. Other players have missed practice on Wednesday to return to practice in full on Thursday or Friday and then suited up on Sunday.
We’ll be updating you with the latest news and information that comes out regarding Montgomery’s status, so make sure to check back in frequently as we get closer to Sunday.
What Does This Mean for Montgomery’s Fantasy Ranking?
Montgomery seemed poised to plummet down rest-of-season rankings after the injury he suffered in Week 2, but he’s stayed steady with the possibility that he returns as early as Week 3.
In a matchup against the Falcons, assuming that Montgomery is healthy enough to be active, he should be played as a top-24 option. If he’s unable to make it back fully in time, Jahmyr Gibbs and Craig Reynolds would stand to benefit.
MORE: Fantasy Football Early Week 3 RB Rankings
Gibbs would most likely move into top 15 status due to the increased volume he would see, but Reynolds would also be a nice fill-in option for managers who are dealing with a slew of injuries at the RB position.
If Reynolds is out there on your waiver wire, he should be a priority stash going into this weekend, especially if you have Montgomery on your roster.