The weekly agonizing battle for fantasy football managers over which Detroit Lions running back to start is here. Both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are having excellent seasons and facing a weak Denver Broncos run defense, so this is a pick you don’t want to whiff on in Week 15.
Here’s a look at the fantasy outlook for each player heading into Week 15.
Should You Start Jahmyr Gibbs or David 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.
My ranking for these two running backs aligns with the consensus. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before Gibbs starts getting the majority of the work in the Lions’ backfield. That time could be this week.
Fantasy Outlook for Gibbs This Week
For the third straight game, Gibbs improved his rushing yards from the previous week, finishing with 66 yards on just 11 carries against the Chicago Bears. He is still not getting a lot of carries of late — over the last four games, he had eight carries in two games and 11 carries in two games — but he is productive with these limited opportunities.
Gibbs has averaged over four yards a carry in 10 of his 11 games this season with the lone exception coming back in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. In addition, in seven games since he returned from an injury, Gibbs has scored six touchdowns, tied for the sixth-most among running backs over that span.
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With 45 receptions this season, Gibbs is an elite pass catcher for a running back. He has caught at least three passes in six of seven games since his return. With 89.1 scrimmage yards per game, Gibbs ranks seventh among running backs.
Montgomery has had a very productive season for Detroit, but the future — perhaps the not-so-distant future — belongs to Gibbs.
Fantasy Outlook for Montgomery This Week
As is usually the case when breaking down these two players, you really cannot go wrong picking Montgomery in most cases. While not the versatile player that Gibbs is, Montgomery is a very productive back for fantasy managers.
Gibbs leads the team in scrimmage yards per game, but Montgomery is right behind at 87.6. Montgomery also has a considerable edge in touchdowns with 10 this season — one of only five running backs to reach double digits in scoring runs this year.
In his five games since returning from his injury, Montgomery is averaging almost six yards a carry (5.8) and over 80 scrimmage yards per game (85.0).
We should not forget that the Broncos rank dead last in rush defense, allowing 144.0 rush yards per game.
The PFN Start/Sit Optimizer projects Montgomery to finish with 49 rush yards and three catches for 26 yards.
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