Fantasy Football Impact: Lions Trade David Montgomery to Texans

David Montgomery has been traded to the Houston Texans. Over the weekend, news leaked out that David Montgomery could be on the move, but Montgomery took to social media, and it looked like the rumor had no legs. Well, not so fast. Montgomery’s impact on the Houston backfield and Woody Marks will be sizable. Let’s discuss what this could mean for fantasy football in 2026.

David Montgomery Traded to Texans

Updated compensation :

Texans get: RB David Montgomery.

Lions get: fourth-round pick, OL Juice Scruggs, and a 7th-round pick. https://t.co/fzCWeZMQ0a

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2026

David Montgomery should take over as Houston’s workhorse back immediately, which turns Woody Marks into a high-end handcuff. Houston wants a workhorse running back, and Montgomery should absorb a workload close to what Joe Mixon saw in 2024. In 2024, Mixon ranked fifth in opportunity share, 14th in snap share, and 13th in carries among running backs, finishing with 281 touches.

*Data per Fantasy Points Data – among running backs with a minimum of 100 carries or 20 targets*

Last year, Montgomery was phased out in Detroit down the stretch. In Weeks 12-18, he was the RB43 in fantasy points per game with a 32.1% snap rate, 8.2 touches per game, and only 42.8 total yards per game. That wasn’t because his talent suddenly dried up. Detroit just decided to lean on Jahmyr Gibbs heavily as the centerpiece of their backfield. Montgomery still has the chops to be a lead back, as evidenced above.

Montgomery outproduced Woody Marks last year in every discernible per-touch metric. Marks was almost dead last among 49 qualifying backs in missed tackles forced per attempt, while ranking outside the top 30 backs in every other tackle-breaking metric. Montgomery also outpaced him in the passing game. If we delve further into Montgomery’s passing game value last year, he was also 12th in first downs per route run among 52 qualifying backs, per Fantasy Points Data. Just for comparison sake, Marks was 45th among the same sample of backs. Montgomery also outproduced Marks as a pass protector last season with a 58.0 pass blocking grade and three hurries allowed (per PFF). Marks logged a 48.9 pass blocking grade and six hurries allowed (with 50 more pass blocking snaps, too).

Montgomery should be viewed as a volume-driven RB2 for 2026, with Marks falling into the RB3/4 or handcuff tier. Marks should spell Montgomery for a few touches weekly, but this is Montgomery’s backfield in 2026, and he could easily flirt with 300 touches if he stays healthy.

Lions Backfield Impact

With David Montgomery gone, Jahmyr Gibbs is firmly in the conversation for the RB1 overall title in 2026. Last year, in Weeks 12-18, Gibbs was the RB1 in fantasy points per game (PPR), averaging 23.3 points per game while averaging 20.4 touches and 110.4 total yards. Last year, among 49 qualifying backs, Gibbs ranked ninth in explosive run rate and third in missed tackles forced per attempt, per Fantasy Points Data.

Gibbs should be an elite RB1 in 2026 with the unquestioned lead job for Detroit, but I do think Detroit adds another back in the NFL Draft. Currently, Detroit has only Jacob Saylors, Sione Vaki, and Kye Robichaux behind Gibbs on the depth chart. Detroit still owns its first and second round picks in the draft, but they don’t have another pick after those two selections until the fourth round. This year’s running back class isn’t stacked, but they could easily find someone like Seth McGowan sitting on the board in the fifth round (they have two fifth-round picks) to address their RB2 need.

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