David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen, while both listed as running backs in the depth chart have been deployed in vastly different roles this season. Montgomery has taken on pure rushing duties while Cohen has become more of a receiving-rusher-hybrid. That’s good news for fantasy owners, as they are almost not taking opportunities from one another. Montgomery has made the backfield his by kicking Mike Davis completely out of it, and Cohen is lining up wide in most of the snaps he’s playing.
The problem for the rookie Montgomery so far has been his middling production, even as the leading rusher of the Bears. He has not been able to run for more than 67 yards in any game he’s played and it’s his two touchdowns that have maintained his average points per game over 10 this season (he’s at 10.1 entering Week 7).
As for Cohen, he hasn’t produced to overly impressive levels either. While his touches have been constant (eight, six, six, seven, ten) during the five games the Bears have played, he’s finding it hard to make the most of them. Cohen has his best rushing mark of the season at 18 yards in Week 2 and has yet to reach 50 yards receiving in any game, with his season-best at 49 yards on eight receptions against Green Bay all the way back in the season opener.
Fantasy football analysis, Chicago Bears RBs David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen
I don’t like Chicago’s running backs. Both of them seem to be playing below-average and underperforming and all of that while not even sharing the same role. Imagining them in a real timeshare just scares me. It is not so far fetched to consider both rushers too touchdown-dependent in terms of fantasy football. That is the only aspect of the game that can keep their scores up even a little — though not much, considering they’re topping at no more than 12 or 13 fantasy points at most. This week they face a stout defense against the run in that of the Saints. From Week 3 on, New Orleans has surrendered just 228 rushing yards combined to running backs and no more than 73 in any game—all that while facing studs like Ezekiel Elliott and Leonard Fournette. I don’t think neither Montgomery or Cohen is worth starting this weekend, not even at a flex position.
Start/Sit recommendation
David Montgomery: Sit
Tarik Cohen: Sit