5 fantasy football waiver wire replacements for Lions RB David Montgomery

The litany of injuries the Detroit Lions have dealt with over the last eight weeks is getting hard to comprehend. During Sunday's loss to the Buffalo, four players suffered what looks to be season-ending injuries as a practical matter.

Of course the headliner from a fantasy football perspective is running back David Montgomery. Regardless of how severe his MCL injury is, his real-life regular season is likely over and he's out for the balance of the fantasy season with two weeks left in many leagues.

Montgomery is having a nice season (775 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns), with an extra element as a pass catcher he did not have last season (36 receptions for 341 yards). With two games left in Week 15, as much as it probably won't change things, he is no worse than RB13 regardless of fantasy scoring format.

At this point in the season, now looking toward Week 16, a big chunk of fantasy managers are eliminated from championship contention for this year and disengaged. A fair amount of them surely had Montgomery on their roster.

But there are plenty of Montgomery fantasy managers who still have something to play for, be it a championship, a consolation bracket or simply an effort to not finish last in their league.

So for those Montgomery fantasy managers who are still engaged, here are some waiver wire options to replace him.

5 fantasy football waiver wire replacements for Lions RB David Montgomery

5. Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers

Production was not there for Vidal in Week 15 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (three carries for nine yards, two catches for 13 yards). But the snap share in the Chargers' backfield moved toward him dramatically, with 35 snaps (67 percent snap share) to just 14 for Gus Edwards (27 percent snap share)

Some of that could be pinned on the game script in what was a 40-17 loss. But as noted by Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, Vidal replaced Edwards on the second play of the game and he took seven of the 11 snaps on the Chargers' first drive.

How the Chargers' backfield will look on a short week with a Week 16 Thursday night matchup against the Denver Broncos could be regarded as a question. It's also a fairly tough matchup, with the Broncos in the top half of the league in fantasy points allowed to running backs (Yahoo! scoring, 0.5-point PPR). However, a good chunk of backs that have not split the work have had some success against the Broncos.

Vidal is a waiver wire add done with a bit more of an eye on a favorable Week 17 matchup against the New England Patriots. But those who need an option in Week 16 as a low-end RB2 or flex (leagues with 12 or more teams), could easily embrace a little risk and use the rookie as a plug-and-play.

ESPN Ownership: 15.2%
Yahoo! Ownership: 12%

4. Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints

Since coming off IR and out of now-departed head coach Dennis Allen's doghouse, Miller has 19 carries and a rushing touchdown. When Alvin Kamara exited Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders early in the fourth quarter, Miller played 23 of the 27 remaining snaps (h/t to Pro Football Focus), with eight carries and 15 routes run as he clearly became the lead back for the Saints.

Early reports have said Kamara is "day to day". The Saints have an extra day before taking on the Green Bay Packers to close Week 16, which could be helpful to him being able to play. Week 17 brings another solid matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

With so many injuries elsewhere on their offense, the Saints have run their offense through their running backs. With the idea Miller could be the lead back over the next couple weeks, and how he has surely earned a role regardless of Kamara's status, he is an easy (and widely available) waiver wire add to consider.

ESPN Ownership: 8%
Yahoo! Ownership: 11%

3. Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

Tony Pollard did not practice at all last week due to an ankle injury. He played Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but he was clearly limited at times and the game script was a further nudge for Spears to play more than he usually has and he delivered with 92 total yards on 10 touches (six catches for 87 yards) and two total touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving).

The Titans next two matchups are about as good as it gets for running backs, as the Indianapolis Colts (Week 16) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 17) both entered Week 15 among the five most-generous teams in fantasy points allowed to running backs this season (Yahoo! scoring, 0.5-point PPR).

If Pollard were to miss time, or be shut down with the Titans out of playoff contention, Spears would take over as the lead back with the cliche' "league-winner" label feeling appropriate. The worst-case might be splitting work with Pollard, which would land Spears on the flex radar in 12-team leagues with those two great matchups coming. In any case, Spears should be firmly on the radar to add in leagues where he's available. If he wasn't so close to the 50 percent rostered threshold for a waiver wire add, he might be No. 1 on this list.

ESPN Ownership: 43.2%
Yahoo! Ownership: 44%

2. Sincere McCormick, Las Vegas Raiders

As of this writing, McCormick has not played a Week 15 Monday night game against the Atlanta Falcons. That looks like a tough matchup, but Atlanta has allowed more than 80 total yards to a running back in seven of their last eight games. Even with Alexander Mattison set to return to action Monday night, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has consistently committed to McCormick as the lead back.

As long as McCormick makes it through Monday night healthy, his matchups in Week 16 and 17 are impossible to ignore. The Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints entered Week 15 in the bottom-six of the league in fantasy points allowed to running backs (Yahoo! scoring, 0.5-point PPR), and it's highly unlikely the Raiders will be forced into a pass-heavy game script in either game.

Players on bad teams can help win people fantasy leagues. McCormick has the floor based on his role and the upside of nice Week 16 and 17 matchups to do just that.

ESPN Ownership: 32.7%
Yahoo! Ownership: 44%

1. Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns

Ford's playing time has trended up in recent weeks, putting him on the waiver wire radar in deeper leagues. A 62-yard touchdown accounted for a big chunk of his 84 rushing yards Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, as he added two catches for 20 yards.

But in a bigger development, Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot against the Chiefs and is out for the rest of the season barring something unforeseen.

When Chubb was out at the start of the season, as he worked his way back from his torn ACL last season, Ford played at least 75 percent of Cleveland's offensive snaps in three of the first four games. He had at least 64 total yards in all four, with at least 25 receiving yards and at least three catches in three of them.

D'Onta Foreman, who has been a healthy scratch since Chubb returned, is a potential fly in Ford's fantasy ointment. But Ford should be the lead back in good matchups against the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 16) and Miami Dolphins (Week 17).

The prospect of Ford seeing 20 touches per game in an offense that had previously looked functional makes him a top waiver wire add this week, and gives him the edge as the No. 1 add for Montgomery fantasy managers who are now in need of a replacement.

ESPN Ownership: 32.4%
Yahoo! Ownership: 43%