Both David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears‘ D’Andre Swift are coming off the best seasons of their careers in 2023. And each provides near-equal fantasy value heading into the 2024 season.
But which running back should fantasy managers choose if a decision between the two comes up during a draft?
Here is the fantasy outlook for both Montgomery and Swift heading into this season.
2024 Fantasy Outlook for David Montgomery
Montgomery is the RB18 in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings.
After four productive yet unspectacular seasons with the Bears, Montgomery joined the Lions last season and had arguably the best season of his career.
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Although his rushing yards (1,015) were just off his career-high total from 2020 (1,070), Montgomery’s rushing yards per game (72.5) and yards per carry (4.6) were both career highs.
In addition, Montgomery easily had the most prolific scoring season of his NFL career, with a career-high 13 touchdowns.
From a fantasy standpoint, 2023 was a good season, but not Montgomery’s best. His 14.8 fantasy points per game average was only his third-best average. Much of this is due to the fact that he regressed when it came to pass-catching.
Montgomery was targeted only 24 times in 14 games last season, and his 16 receptions and 117 receiving yards were both easily career lows.
The emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs as a rookie last season — he was a Pro Bowl selection — played a big part in Montgomery’s low receiving numbers.
Gibbs instantly became one of the best pass catchers among running backs in the NFL, and it does not appear as if Montgomery’s receiving numbers will be improving dramatically anytime soon.
2024 Fantasy Outlook for D’Andre Swift
Swift is the RB21 in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings.
While Montgomery is a former Bears player who joined the Lions, Swift is a former Lions player who is joining the Bears — after a one-season stop with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.
Swift is coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season in 2023 (1,049), and his 229 carries were also a career-high by a large margin.
However, like Montgomery, Swift’s fantasy value dipped last season due to his lack of pass-catching. Once a reliable receiver out of the backfield (he had 62 receptions in the 2021 season), Swift set career lows in targets (49), receptions (39), receiving yards (214) and touchdown receptions (1).
So, despite his career high in rushing yards, Swift finished with the lowest fantasy points scoring average of his career — 12.5 fantasy points per game.
Who Should I Draft in 2024?
While Montgomery is in an established offense in Detroit with a Pro Bowl quarterback in Jared Goff, Swift joins a revamped but potentially exciting offense in Chicago.
The Bears’ No. 1 overall draft pick, Caleb Williams, figures to be fun to watch, but he will also take his lumps, which is natural for most rookies (unless your name is C.J. Stroud, of course).
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Swift could shine in this offense as a featured back, and perhaps his pass-catching skills will reemerge with the Bears.
And while the Lions have the better offense with potentially more opportunities for success for Montgomery, sharing time with a potential fantasy star like Gibbs will take some of the luster off his fantasy value.