Fantasy Football: 5 Breakout Running Backs for 2019

Fantasy Football Breakout RB – David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

I know what you’re thinking – this guy really likes these NFC North guys. You’d be correct. The first rookie to crack the list, Bears’ third-round pick David Montgomery has a chance to make some noise in his first year. Selected by Chicago as the hopeful heir of Jordan Howard, Montgomery gets the rare opportunity of being a Day-2 pick that gets launched into a workhorse role right from the get-go.

With Howard now in Philadelphia, there’s a whopping 778 over the past three seasons missing from Chicago’s backfield. Not only did the team opt to use their limited draft capital on Montgomery with their first selection, but they also traded-up to get him.

the Iowa State alum has looked impressive so far this offseason, according to multiple reports out of OTAs. Bears reporter Adam Jahns of The Athletic reported in late-June that Montgomery was a “problem” for the Bears’ defense, arguably the best defensive unit in football last year.

Jahns continued by stating that Montgomery “excited” teammates and coaches with his receiving skills and route-running ability during OTAs. He also claimed the young ball-carrier “led all rookies, if not the entire team” in highlight-reel plays.

While his stat-sheet numbers weren’t quite as good as some of the other backs in his class, the ex-Cyclone was still seen by many as the draft’s most pro-ready RB. Montgomery handled 624 carries over the past three seasons, proving his 220-pound frame is more than capable of shouldering a large workload.

In college, he was impossible to take down. Pro Football Focus graded him out at 91.1, the highest of any draft-eligible rusher. According to PFF, Montgomery is also the only player in the PFF College era to force more than 100 missed tackles (rushing and receiving). This is feat he’s accomplished not just once, but twice.

We already know he’s laterally-gifted, but the video posted on social media Tuesday (watch here) shows otherworldly quickness. Although he was knocked by scouts for his straight line speed (4.63 40-yard-dash at the Combine) throughout the pre-draft process, Montgomery makes up for it with his quick feet and impressive elusiveness.

Running-mate Tarik Cohen will still see carries as a proven playmaker in HC Matt Nagy’s offense, but Montgomery is the versatile “jack-of-all-trades” RB that Nagy coveted. Montgomery should easily surpass 200 rush-attempts in Year 1.

For these reasons, he enters the 2019 fantasy season as a fine RB2 in PPR with fringe-RB1 upside if his game can smoothly translate from college to the pros. As we saw in early offseason activities, it’s been so far so good.