There are only two teams in the NFL that have two players with at least 800 scrimmage yards. The first, you may not guess, is the Pittsburgh Steelers. The second, which makes a little more sense, is the Detroit Lions.
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are both running backs who have been terrific for the team at times this year. They are both capable of having a big game and being a top-five fantasy running back.
Now that the fantasy football playoffs are here though, which one of these two players should fantasy managers have in their lineups?
What Is Jahmyr Gibbs’ Fantasy Outlook for Week 15?
All in all, Gibbs has put together a pretty solid rookie campaign in Detroit. He has 980 total yards of offense and has rushed for six touchdowns. Pretty impressive when you consider the time he has missed and the amount of carries he shares with Montgomery.
In the Lions’ last game against the Chicago Bears, he rushed the ball 11 times for 66 yards, while catching three passes for 14 yards. He was also able to score a rushing touchdown, which gave him a very solid 17 points in PPR leagues.
MORE: 2023 RB Fantasy Football Rankings
Up next for the Lions is a Denver Broncos defense that has some misleading statistics. Yes, they are still the worst rushing defense in the NFL (144.0 yards per game). However, when you look at how they have played recently, this isn’t the same defense that gave up 70 to Miami. If you go from every team’s last three games, the Broncos’ rush defense allows 90.7 yards (seventh best).
With that in mind, I don’t think you can just run the ball and think it is going to beat Denver. You are going to have to be able to throw the ball, and catching the ball out of the backfield is one of Gibbs’ biggest strengths. He has 45 catches for 288 yards, while Montgomery has 12 catches for 106 yards.
What Is David Montgomery’s Fantasy Outlook for Week 15?
Both of these running backs are capable of having a big game, but I think too many people are overlooking the Broncos’ defense. This team is playing so much better now under Vance Joseph and looks like the defense many expected heading into the season.
They have knocked off teams recently like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers. All four of those teams are currently in the playoffs as of today. To beat this Broncos defense, you have to be multi-dimensional and get the ball out quickly. That just isn’t Montgomery’s strength anymore, and that figures to mean Gibbs will be on the field more on Sunday.
Should You Start Gibbs or Montgomery This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Gibbs is the player to start. His projected 16.2 points include 55 rushing yards and four catches for 28 receiving yards. That projected stat line outperforms the consensus projection of Montgomery’s 12.5 points.
I am going to side with the Optimizer on this, as it is time for Gibbs to be the guy. If the Lions are going to be able to play with the best teams in the NFC, they are going to have to get explosive plays. Gibbs is the guy most likely to do that, and I think it starts against the Broncos on Saturday.
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