Running Back · Houston Texans
David Montgomery — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis by Shawn Childs, from his 2026 guide — his words, unedited.
The case
- · Over the past two seasons, the Lions scored 126 touchdowns (59 by their running backs), compared to 75 touchdowns by the Texans (30 running back scores).
- · Houston wants to play great defense, suggesting many runs, especially in the second half when they play from the lead.
- · The Texans’ offense has enough skill players to be much better in 202, which starts with better quarterback play.
- · Houston ran the ball 44.9% of the time last year.
- · Montgomery scored 35 touchdowns over his last 45 games for the Lions.
Question marks
- · The Texans will use Montgomery in a rotation role with Woody Marks.
- · He hasn’t been a workhorse back since 2021 (267 touches – 301 in 2020).
- · Montgomery gained over 20 rushing yards four times across his last 343 carries.
- · Houston’s running backs had 54 catches for 385 yards and three touchdowns on 77 targets in 2025 (Detroit – 101/808/5 on 123 targets).
Shawn's conclusion
At age 29, the Texans' new lead running back should have a significant jump in touches. He projects as the goal line runner with some value in the passing games. Double-digit touchdowns seem like a reasonable floor, and 250 touches point to at least 1,100 combined yards. Unfortunately, this combination added up to a backend RB2 ceiling.
More on Montgomery
The move to Detroit in 2023 immediately elevated Montgomery’s fantasy profile. He came out of the gate on fire over the first four games (371 rushing yards, six touchdowns, and five catches for 47 yards – 20.70 fantasy points per game) before injuries began to chip away at his season. He missed Weeks 3, 7, and 8 and left Week 6 early with a rib issue. Despite the absences, he finished the year with 15 touchdowns across 17 games and ranked 17th among running backs in PPR scoring with 208.60 fantasy points, a body of work that deserved a top-12 finish.
Over his final 12 games, including the postseason, Montgomery totaled 909 combined yards, nine touchdowns, and 16 catches on 180 touches (15.0 per game), topping 100 combined yards twice. His only truly dominant performance came in Week 4 (32 carries, 121 yards, three touchdowns, and two catches for 20 yards). He had two catches or fewer in 15 of his 17 appearances.
In 2024, a similar arc of a strong start gave way to late-year injury concerns. Montgomery earned RB1 snaps in four of his 15 games and was at his best over the opening five weeks (75 carries, 351 yards, six touchdowns, and 10 catches for 94 yards). He averaged 13.71 fantasy points over his final 10 games before a knee injury knocked him out of action for the Lions’ final three games. Despite his missed time, Montgomery finished 18th in running back scoring (222.75), leading to three 20.00 fantasy point games (21.20, 21.00, and 24.50).
For the first time in his career, Montgomery played in 17 games in 2025. Unfortunately, his results (158/716/8 with 24 catches for 192 yards) led to a slide to RB27 in fantasy points (167.95), with one impact game (164 combined yards with two touchdowns and one catch).
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