David Montgomery Fantasy Outlook & Injury Update 2022 (Reliable RB2 Despite Underwhelming Bears Offense)

Playing in a lackluster Chicago Bears offense has prevented running back David Montgomery from reaching his full potential from a fantasy football perspective. Nevertheless, he still finished as the No. 19 RB in PPR-scoring leagues last season despite missing four games due to a left knee injury.

With that being the case, it's no surprise to see Montgomery smack dab in the middle of RB2 territory mark in fantasy football rankings. His average draft position (ADP) has him going as the 17th running back off of the board and as a late third round selection.

David Montgomery Fantasy Football Outlook

When a fantasy manager drafts David Montgomery, they are getting a player that isn't afraid of taking on a massive workload. The 25-year-old has handled at least 267 touches in each of his first three seasons and is on the field in every situation. That includes passing plays, rushing plays and goal line action. Montgomery played in a career-high 75% of the offensive snaps and saw a ridiculous 51 red zone opportunities in 2021.

Fantasy managers do have a right to worry that Montgomery's workload could decrease with a new coaching regime taking over in Chicago. If anything, he is going to see less work on early downs with backup Khalil Herbert available to play. His impact in the passing attack will more than make up for that, though. When Justin Fields was at quarterback last season, Montgomery averaged 4.75 targets per game. Seeing that play out over the course of a 17-game season would mean 500 receiving yards is not an unattainable goal.

Montgomery is the perfect example of a boring, yet reliable RB2. He does not have much RB1 upside while stuck in a Chicago offense that averaged a dismal 307.4 yards of offense per game in 2021 (No. 24 in NFL). The Iowa State product has shown time and time again that he can get you 12-14 PPR points per game. He just has to stay healthy.

David Montgomery Projections

Projections from the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook expect Montgomery to finish in the middle of the pack. He's 20th to lead the NFL in rushing yards (+4000), which is a few spots below where he finished the 2021 season at with 849 yards on the ground. He is also 18th to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns (+3000). That shouldn't be surprising given he has never posted more than 8 touchdowns on the ground in a season. When taking his career averages into account (19.0 touches per game, 4.5-yard average), it's a safe bet to say Montgomery will reach 1,400 yards from scrimmage if he stays healthy for a 17-game season.

Is David Montgomery a Good Fantasy Football Pick?

When it comes down to it, is Montgomery someone to target in the early rounds? Definitely. He's the No. 13 running back in The Duel's PPR fantasy football rankings, and is a perfect pick for managers looking to wait a round or two before selecting a RB.

Montgomery has never been known as a league-winning type of player, but the consistency he brings to the table cannot be overlooked. He averages over 14 PPR points per game in his career, which cannot be said about some other players around his ADP.

If you've drafted Montgomery this year, make sure to check out the best David Montgomery fantasy football team names for your squad.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.