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Fantasy football managers will have to make due for the next month or so without Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported the 24-year-old suffered a knee sprain that could keep him out for 4-5 weeks. That leaves some managers scrambling to find a replacement at running back, which becomes increasingly difficult as a season wears on.
Damien Williams, Chicago’s second-leading rusher, is an obvious alternative. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Kenneth Gainwell and Cincinnati Bengals’ Samaje Perine are trending a bit upward as well.
Williams has only carried the ball 16 times this season, but he showed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 he can be effective as a stopgap. He had 711 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns in 11 appearances.
Matthew Berry @MatthewBerryTMR
Damien Williams was obviously good in relief of Montgomery last week & worth noting in 2019 (last season Williams played, with KC) Damien Williams was top 10 among RB in fantasy pts per touch. Talented RB when he gets work. Priority add this week, obviously. <a href=”https://t.co/6jHIJ9xrzz”>https://t.co/6jHIJ9xrzz</a>
Whether Andy Dalton or Justin Fields is the quarterback, the Bears offense isn’t one in which the quarterback is going to throw the ball 40 times a game. Williams should see a high enough number of touches to become a productive fantasy contributor.
Gainwell is coming off his best day as a pro in Philadelphia’s 42-30 loss to the Chiefs. He ran for 31 yards and one touchdown on three carries while catching six passes for 58 yards.
Miles Sanders, meanwhile, only carried the ball seven times against Kansas City and had noticeably fewer targets (three) than Gainwell (eight). The third-year running back is averaging four fewer carries (9.3 per game) than he did last season (13.7).
Perhaps Sanders will rediscover the form that helped him eclipse 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2019 and 2020. But fantasy managers who wait another week to see how Philadelphia’s backfield workload evolves may miss out on having a shot at adding Gainwell given how his influence is growing.
Perine is more of a wild card because his status is heavily dependent upon the health of Joe Mixon.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Bengals starter is dealing with a low-grade ankle sprain, and head coach Zac Taylor described him as “day-to-day.” Cincinnati may be without Mixon when it plays the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and his absence would open the door for Perine.
As a backup for the Bengals in 2020, the 26-year-old averaged 4.8 yards per carry and finished with 301 yards. This year the Oklahoma product has been less effective through four games (nine carries, 28 yards).
Still, Perine is nonetheless a waiver-wire candidate for Week 5 if Mixon is out.
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