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When is David Montgomery coming back? Will David Montgomery play again this season? Read about David Montgomery's return date and injury updates for 2026.
The success of the running backs in fantasy football in 2025 pushed the position up draft boards in 2026. Fantasy managers who were hoping to go with a “Hero RB” approach were forced to take a chance on a running back in the first four rounds.
One player that gained steam throughout the summer was veteran running back David Montgomery. Montgomery was older than many of the options being drafted around him, but a trade from his backfield split with the Detroit Lions to an upgraded offensive line with the Houston Texans had fantasy managers hoping for a value RB2.
That has not gone according to plan so far this season, culminating in a groin injury in Week 5. Is David Montgomery still injured? When will he return? Read below to find out.
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David Montgomery Injury Update for Fantasy Football
David Montgomery was expected to upgrade the Houston Texans' run game in 2026 behind an improved offensive line. Instead, the veteran running back found himself struggling to find gaps and produce successful runs. Still, there was hope that the ground attack could eventually find its footing and produce fantasy points.
Unfortunately, those hopes took a hit when Montgomery suffered a groin injury in the team’s Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans. Head coach Demeco Ryans told reporters that Montgomery was expected to be “week-to-week” after the injury, even though Montgomery avoided a significant injury.
He has not played or practiced since suffering the injury, but it’s fair to hope that he will be ready to return to the field after the Texans’ Week 8 bye.
David Montgomery Fantasy Football Outlook
Fantasy managers hoped they were getting a reliable RB2 when drafting David Montgomery this summer. The trade to the Houston Texans was a clear downgrade in terms of offensive environment but was believed to be an upgrade in opportunities thanks to no longer splitting a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit.
The Texans spent plenty of resources to upgrade their offensive line as well, hoping to provide more stability to take pressure off quarterback C.J. Stroud. Just two seasons ago, Joe Mixon had 1,325 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns behind arguably a worse offensive line.
The pairing between Montgomery and the Texans started off strong for fantasy managers. Montgomery finished as the RB7 in PPR scoring (28.9 points) in Week 1 thanks to 20 carries for 60 yards, three receptions for 19 yards, and three total touchdowns. However, in the four games since that debut, Montgomery mustered just 16.6 PPR points and was ceding work to Woody Marks before being injured.
COUNT 'EM 🗣️ That's three TDs for David Montgomery!
BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/iUc7FIoNID— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
It’s hard to be overly optimistic about his production once he returns from injury. Montgomery was averaging career-worst marks in yards per carry (2.7) and yards before contact (1.6) in his first five games. He had just seven targets in five games, but none after Week 3.
Houston has also continued to struggle rushing the football in his absence. The Texans have the third-worst stuff rate (50.8%) and the third-fewest rushing yards over expected (-128) this season. Some of those issues fall on the running backs, but the offensive line has collectively struggled to gel and create movement at the point of attack this season.
It will be increasingly difficult for Montgomery to be more than an RB3 when he returns without receiving production, since he will be entirely dependent on his ability to score touchdowns. Houston’s offense has shown signs of life in recent weeks, but that’s a big ask for Montgomery’s fantasy potential.
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Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Ollie Gordon II, Jonah Coleman. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
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Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
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Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 8 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 8 for Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Ollie Gordon II, Jonah Coleman:
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