David Montgomery’s Nightmarish NFL Debut: How Freaked Out Should Fantasy Owners Be?

David Montgomery looks like he's trapped in a brutal RBBC... Are you worried?

Why did we love David Montgomery in Fantasy? Simple: he offered high, every-down usage within a Top-10 and (seemingly) ascending attack

Except neither the volume, nor the offense, were there in Montgomery’s nightmarish NFL Debut. Equal parts shocking and disturbing, Montgomery played fewer snaps and received less work than both Tarik Cohen and *gasp* Mike Davis. Despite still carrying long-term upside, Montgomery must find the fantasy bench for the immediate future, and carries a much scarier long-term floor.

Want something that’ll make you puke? Here’s the Bears’ Week 1 RB snaps:

Tarik Cohen: 50 (but only 4 as a RB)

Davis: 40

Montgomery: 27

Yeah. Unload into the toilet before proceeding. 

As if the shaky workload wasn’t enough, the entire Bears offense looked downright atrocious. 3 points. 254 total yards. 3/15 on third downs. Mitch Trubisky looked like a complete trashbag in completing just 57.8% of his throws for 5.1 YPA. (Friendly reminder: the Bears traded up to select Trubisky over both Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson).

If Trubisky doesn’t quickly sprout some talent, Montgomery’s usage won’t even matter. Montgomery’s TD upside quickly evaporates in an abysmal attack.

Perhaps the only positive here was Montgomery actually looked solid. He broke numerous tackles on his six carries, and ripped his lone target for 27 yards. Meanwhile, Davis looked wholly pedestrian?

So why wasn’t Montgomery utilized more?

The question will haunt my sleep the next week, and Nagy’s answer isn’t all that illuminating:

“A rookie guy coming in and learning, there’s a lot of intricacies to our offense with rules and assignments,” Nagy said. “Not just with running the ball, but in pass protection and running routes. Different things. So, we’re kind of easing him into it.”

Hmmm… can someone remind me of how “eased in” Kareem Hunt was under Nagy his rookie season?

“I know everyone wants instant gratification and wants the great fantasy stats right away in Week 1,” Nagy said of Montgomery. “We want production. I love the kid. I think the kid’s going to have a very great future, but there’s going to be a little bit of a wait here, a balance as to … what’s best and how to use him, along with Mike and Tarik.” 

Ultimately, Montgomery’s tough Week 1, Trubisky’s struggles, Nagy’s horrendous play-calling, and Davis’ inexcusable involvement all warrant consideration. If his owner is freaking out and you have the depth for patience after a fast start, Montgomery still could finish 2019 on a workhorse tear and is worth inquiring about.

Still, this brighter future could be much farther away than initially anticipated.

Author

  • Founder of Roto Street Journal. Lover of workhorse backs, target hog wideouts, and Game of Thrones. Aspiring to be the "Brady" and "Leo" of the fantasy universe.

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