When the Detroit Lions running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were both active the first two weeks of the 2023 NFL season, it was Montgomery who saw a 38 to 23 advantage in the total touches department.
If both are active for their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Green Bay Packers, who should you start in Week 4? Let’s take a closer look.
Update 09/28/23: Montgomery is officially active tonight against the Packers.
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Jahmyr Gibbs’ Fantasy Outlook This Week
Many fantasy managers had sky-high expectations for Gibbs heading into his rookie season, playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the league.
Unfortunately, Gibbs was significantly out-touched through the first two weeks with Montgomery in the lineup. To make matters worse, it was Montgomery, not Gibbs, who found the end zone on the ground in each of the first two games.
However, when Montgomery picked up a thigh injury against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, it was finally time for Gibbs to see a feature role in this backfield, with Montgomery inactive against the Atlanta Falcons.
Gibbs was able to produce 80 yards rushing on 17 carries but ultimately failed to find the end zone again in Week 3. While it was a solid effort, Gibbs likely didn’t do enough to outright phase Montgomery out of his role in this backfield.
David Montgomery’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
The return of Montgomery looms quite large over the fantasy outlook of Gibbs heading into Week 4. Earlier today, the Lions listed Montgomery as questionable for Thursday Night Football.
#DETvsGB injury report presented by Henry Ford Health. pic.twitter.com/3e8p7NpwHN
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 27, 2023
While Gibbs has been more effective on a per-touch basis, Montgomery was used as the primary ball carrier and preferred short-yardage option in the first two games of the season.
One can certainly make an argument that Gibbs is the more dynamic option between these two players, but Montgomery’s role produced more fantasy points through the first two games of the season.
Who Should You Start in Week 4?
This is a bit tricky because I would prefer to go with Montgomery if he truly is healthy and is a full go for the game against the Packers.
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The problematic part with trusting Montgomery is if the team limits his workload in any capacity due to the thigh injury.
Since we don’t have that type of intel, Gibbs feels like the safer bet with plenty of big-play upside in Week 4 against the Packers.