Start or sit David Montgomery in Week 2 fantasy football?

In the modern NFL, it’s almost accepted that every running back is going to have to share the backfield in some capacity. However, while we’ve collectively shrugged our shoulders at teams utilizing a pair of RBs, a three-man committee is an entirely different headache. Unfortunately, that’s where we currently find ourselves with David Montgomery. While it’s one thing to be the most talented player on a team’s depth chart, it’s a whole other scenario to be the most viable. The issue as it pertains to Montgomery is what exactly his role will shake out to be when splitting snaps with both Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis.

While Montgomery is no slouch when it comes to getting involved in the passing game, no RB with more than 50 targets in 2018 averaged more yards per reception than Cohen (10.2). Though Montgomery is clearly slippery running between the tackles, Davis put up a career-best 4.6 yards per attempt last year. It’s simply hard to say what the Iowa State product truly does at a higher level. I mean, as concerning as being out-snapped by both in Week 1 was, it’s equally troubling that we saw Mitchell Trubisky target his running backs at an NFL-high 41 percent rate; yet Montgomery left the loss to Green Bay with just a single pass-catching opportunity. Now, we’re not likely to see another game this season where the Bears are forced to throw the ball 76.2% of the time - and Montgomery did lead the team in carries (6) - but I can’t definitively say what downs I expect to see the rookie take the field.

Fantasy Impact: Denver was continuously gashed by Oakland’s rushing attack on Monday, with the Broncos surrendered a whopping 5.21 adjusted yards per carry. So, it’s not insane to believe that a Chicago running back could cobble together an impressive performance this weekend. Still, with a low projected game total and three mouths to feed, I’m having a difficult time rationalizing why that man will be Montgomery. Best case scenario? Montgomery goes off on your bench and you can feel more confident playing him next week in a softer matchup against Washington.

Recommendation: Sit