Fantasy Football: Ty Montgomery has resurfaced as an asset

There are plenty of question marks around Le’Veon Bell, so at least as his handcuff (and perhaps more) Ty Montgomery is looking like a fantasy asset.

The New York Jets signed Le’Veon Bell, with the presumption he’ll step in and be the kind of workhorse he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But head coach Adam Gase suggested Bell’s touches might be limited, and Jets’ ESPN beat writer Rich Cimini has further suggested Bell will share the load with Ty Montgomery early in the season.

After spending most of his first four NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Montgomery signed a one-year deal with the Jets this offseason. He moved between running back and wide receiver with the Packers, with baseball-esque dual position eligibility on some fantasy league hosts. In 2016 he had 1,171 all-purpose yards, with 457 rushing yards and 44 catches for 358 yards as he finished as RB33 in full-point PPR leagues.

Montgomery is a running back on the depth chart, but he’s still wearing a wide receiver number (88) for the Jets. He’s being used all over the field, with a touchdown in each of the last two preseason games.

With Bell sitting out, Montgomery operated as the Jets’ first-team running back in the meaningful preseason.

Earlier this month Montgomery said he’s not struggling with how he fits, in running back or wide receiver terms, and feels like a “true hybrid” in the Jets’ offense.

"He’s (Gase) not really struggling with are you a running back or are you a receiver?” Montgomery told the Daily News. “When we have conversations, he just says, He doesn’t seem to be trying to figure out whether I’m a running back or you’re a receiver. I feel like a true hybrid in this offense."

Even with Elijah McGuire, Bilal Powell and Trenton Cannon in the mix, Montgomery has a firm grip on the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. With questions about Bell after a full season off the field, Montgomery now stands as the clear handcuff to protect that pick.

Montgomery could find some standalone value as Bell’s primary backup this year, particularly as a flex option in PPR leagues. In any situation, as a Bell owner or not, he’s worth circling back to check on as a waiver wire add heading toward Week 1. As of Wednesday night, Montgomery is owned in four percent of ESPN leagues and 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues and he has surfaced on Fantasy Football Calculator’s ADP charts at RB58 (pick 14.04) in 12-team PPR leagues.

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