Ty Montgomery’s move to the Jets is (ironically) flying under the radar, especially in fantasy circles. Yet, with Le’Veon Bell resting this preseason, Montgomery has emerged as the Jets’ clear-cut No.2 back.
He’s played on all 23 of Sam Darnold’s snaps with the first team, racking up 48 yards and a TD on 10 touches (1 rec) through two weeks.
Given Bell’s lengthy injury and full-year absence last season, Montgomery’s handcuff appeal should be more apparent. Beyond this, Montgomery has been so impressive this offseason he’s apparently carved out a standalone role. He needs to enter your last-round fantasy plans sooner than later.
Following Training Camp, The Athletic’s Connor Hughes concluded:
“Montgomery is not a complement to Bell. He’s not someone to spell Bell so the All-Pro stays fresh during the year. Montgomery is another weapon for Gase to play with. If training camp is any indication, Gase is as excited to have him as anyone else.”
Hughes continued to detail how “Montgomery and Bell are regularly on the field together,” with the pair motioning all over the place. Hughes described this dynamic as “fascinating to watch,” and expects Montgomery’s usage to be incredibly creative.
The NY Daily drew similar conclusions, labeling Montgomery as “an invaluable chess piece” that’s “invaluable to Gase’s puzzle.”
Meanwhile, Montgomery is enthused by the diversity in his newfound role. Instead of trying to fit in at a specific position, Montgomery raved: “I feel like a true hybrid in this offense.”
Gase was ecstatic, and a bit surprised, to land Montgomery without much opposition. He hinted at a major role for his new weapon:
“It was a surprising deal when he came in here,” Has the wheels started turning on offense as far as all right, what are we going to do?
“His versatility and his flexibility and his knowledge, he’s extremely smart. So, we put a lot on his plate and he’s able to play a lot of different roles for us.”
Thus, we’ seem to have a clear fantasy “handcuff with benefits” that no one is discussing. Going largely undrafted, take a stab on Montgomery late. He could easily carve out usable weekly value as a mismatch machine, and would be a Top-20 weekly option if Bell does go down.
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