David Montgomery Finally Escapes Jahmyr Gibbs' Fantasy Football Shadow in 2026

After three seasons sharing touches with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit, David Montgomery heads to Houston with a clearer path to goal-line work and lead-back responsibilities. While the Texans’ offense may not match Detroit’s scoring environment, Montgomery’s projected workload and touchdown role could make him a value pick in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

TRADE: Lions trading RB David Montgomery to Texans in exchange for a fourth-round pick, a seventh-round pick and OL Juice Scruggs. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/gcqGmh6eMY
— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2026

David Montgomery, Houston Texans

The move to Detroit in 2023 immediately elevated Montgomery’s fantasy profile. He came out of the gate on fire over the first four games (371 rushing yards, six touchdowns, and five catches for 47 yards – 20.70 fantasy points per game) before injuries began to chip away at his season. He missed Weeks 3, 7, and 8 and left Week 6 early with a rib issue. Despite the absences, he finished the year with 15 touchdowns across 17 games and ranked 17th among running backs in PPR scoring with 208.60 fantasy points, a body of work that deserved a top-12 finish.

Over his final 12 games, including the postseason, Montgomery totaled 909 combined yards, nine touchdowns, and 16 catches on 180 touches (15.0 per game), topping 100 combined yards twice. His only truly dominant performance came in Week 4 (32 carries, 121 yards, three touchdowns, and two catches for 20 yards). He had two catches or fewer in 15 of his 17 appearances.

In 2024, a similar arc of a strong start giving way to late-year injury concerns. Montgomery earned RB1 snaps in four of his 15 games and was at his best over the opening five weeks (75 carries, 351 yards, six touchdowns, and 10 catches for 94 yards). He averaged 13.71 fantasy points over his final 10 games before a knee injury knocked him out of action for the Lions’ final three games. Despite his missed time, Montgomery finished 18th in running back scoring (222.75), leading to three 20.00 fantasy point games (21.20, 21.00, and 24.50).

For the first time in his career, Montgomery played in 17 games in 2025. Unfortunately, his results (158/716/8 with 24 catches for 192 yards) led to a slide to RB27 in fantasy points (167.95), with one impact game (164 combined yards with two touchdowns and one catch).

David Montgomery 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: The Texans will rotate in two backs this year, but their offense is a significant step back for the Detroit Lions. Montgomery will get some catches while serving as Houston’s top goal-line runner. He makes this offense better, but his injury history suggests some games off. I have him on a path for 225 touches, resulting in 1,000 combined yards with a run at 10 scores.

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