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Should I start David Montgomery, Emari Demercado, Quinshon Judkins for Week 10? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
We've crossed the halfway point of the 2025 NFL season, and the playoff push is heating up for fantasy managers.
In this article, we'll break down the Week 10 outlooks for three running backs: David Montgomery, Emari Demercado, and Quinshon Judkins. Each has operated in a split backfield this season, with Demercado's situation in Arizona having the most volatility.
So, should fantasy managers start Montgomery, Demercado, and Judkins in Week 10? Let's dive in.
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Should I Start David Montgomery for Fantasy Football?
Montgomery has again been a steady producer for the Detroit Lions in his third year with the team. Montgomery surprisingly out-touched Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit's Week 9 loss to Minnesota, as Gibbs logged his fewest touches (12) in a game since Week 13 of last season and fewest total yards (28) of his career.
That is unlikely to continue in future weeks, but Montgomery has still pretty much been as advertised this season, ranking as RB23 in PRP points per game (11.9). The 28-year-old benefits from Detroit's high-powered offense, making him one of the most reliable weekly bets to find the endzone. Montgomery has two top 12 RB and four top 24 RB performances in eight games this season and should be set up for another productive fantasy day in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders.
DAVID. MONTGOMERY.
DETvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/qK7GVHfst2— NFL (@NFL) September 23, 2025
Washington's defense has totally fallen apart over the past few weeks, dealing with multiple injuries at all levels while also having major issues in the secondary. Since Week 6, Washington has a 58% defensive rushing success rate, third-worst in the league, only behind the Cardinals and Bengals, per Fantasy Points Data Suite. In a Week 10 matchup where Detroit is expected to maintain a positive game script, Montgomery should see plenty of work and ranks as RotoBaller's RB23 in PPR formats.
Should I Start Emari Demercado for Fantasy Football?
The musical chairs of the Arizona Cardinals backfield continues. Since Week 5, there's been no consistency in regards to who has led the backfield without Trey Benson (knee) and James Conner (foot). Emari Demercado has stood out recently and has posted the two highest rushing totals among Cardinals backs in that span, rushing for 81 yards on three carries in Week 5 against Tennessee and 79 yards on 14 carries in Week 9 at Dallas.
Demercado profiles as a change-of-pace, receiving back who can be efficient on a lighter rushing workload. The 14 carries last week were the second-highest of his career, and head coach Jonathan Gannon was non-committal on anointing Demercado as the lead back for Week 10 against the division-leading Seattle Seahawks.
Gannon on whether the RB split will look like it did last week:
“Similar but not the same. … Maybe a little bit different.”
Gannon said he and Petzing have not yet talked about who will be out there to start the game.
— Theo Mackie (@theo_mackie) November 7, 2025
Seattle has shut down opposing running backs this season, allowing a league-best 3.5 yards per carry. But they have been susceptible to running backs in the pass game, allowing the second-most receptions (48). That could benefit Demercado as Arizona's primary pass-down back, as Bam Knight and Michael Carter aren't nearly as effective in that area. Still, it's a risky situation given the uncertainty over who will lead the backfield, and in a tough matchup, Demercado ranks as a low-end flex option for Week 10. Demercado is ranked as RotoBaller's RB34 in PPR leagues.
Should I Start Quinshon Judkins for Fantasy Football?
Judkins looks to be all recovered from the shoulder injury that knocked him out of their Week 8 loss at the New England Patriots. The rookie had the bye week to fully heal and doesn't have an injury designation heading into Sunday against the Jets. Judkins has looked great this season as Cleveland's lead back, rushing for 486 yards and five touchdowns on 118 carries in seven games as a starter.
The second-rounder out of Ohio State should slot back in as the Browns' lead back against a Jets defense that just traded away their two best defensive players, with one of them being defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. New York already struggled to contain opposing running backs with Williams, allowing the seventh-most PPR points allowed per game.
Quinshon Judkins 46-yard TD!
MIAvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/tEkT7aMNZx
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
The matchup on Sunday between the Browns and the Jets is tied for the lowest total of the weekend at just 37.5. It'll likely be a run-heavy game plan from both sides, resulting in a limited number of possessions for both teams. And as of now, there is a good chance of rain and some wind in East Rutherford on Sunday afternoon, which will lead to a heavy workload for Judkins, perhaps similar to his 25-carry day against the Dolphins in a monsoon a few weeks ago. Fire Judkins up as a low-end RB1 for Week 10.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 10 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like David Montgomery, Emari Demercado, and Quinshon Judkins. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 10. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 10 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - David Montgomery, Emari Demercado, Quinshon Judkins. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 10.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
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, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 10 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 10 (2025)? 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 10 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 10 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for David Montgomery, Emari Demercado, Quinshon Judkins compared to others:
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