Start Bucky Irving or David Montgomery? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Bucky Irving over David Montgomery in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Bucky Irving at 11.4 points and David Montgomery at 10.7, a gap of 0.7. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 11.5 fantasy points for Bucky Irving, with 100 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

The market has Bucky Irving at 51.5 rushing yards, 12.5 receiving yards and 2.5 receptions, with a 34% chance to score a touchdown (13, 15, 16 and 17 market sources).

Player markets imply 10.7 fantasy points for David Montgomery, with 100 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

The market has David Montgomery at 46.5 rushing yards, 8.5 receiving yards and 1.5 receptions, with a 46% chance to score a touchdown (9, 8, 7 and 12 market sources).

That puts Bucky Irving 0.7 points ahead of David Montgomery on the market projections.

Injury status

Bucky Irving is not on the injury report.

David Montgomery is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 4, Bucky Irving played 62 percent of TB snaps, took 58 percent of the carries, drew 12 percent of the targets and had 29 percent of the red zone chances.

Bucky Irving, Week 1 against CIN: 35 of 57 snaps, 8 carries for 45 yards, 7 targets and 7 catches for 48 yards, 1 touchdown.

Bucky Irving, Week 2 against CLE: 51 of 65 snaps, 17 carries for 89 yards, 4 targets and 4 catches for 1 yards.

Bucky Irving, Week 3 against MIN: 36 of 69 snaps, 15 carries for 46 yards, 4 targets and 2 catches for 12 yards.

Bucky Irving, Week 4 against GB: 37 of 64 snaps, 16 carries for 61 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Through Week 4, David Montgomery played 54 percent of HOU snaps, took 52 percent of the carries, drew 5 percent of the targets and had 35 percent of the red zone chances.

David Montgomery, Week 1 against BUF: 39 of 79 snaps, 20 carries for 60 yards, 3 targets and 3 catches for 19 yards, 3 touchdowns.

David Montgomery, Week 2 against CIN: 42 of 80 snaps, 6 carries for 10 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 14 yards.

David Montgomery, Week 3 against IND: 34 of 54 snaps, 11 carries for 33 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 15 yards.

David Montgomery, Week 4 against DAL: 31 of 55 snaps, 10 carries for 24 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Bucky Irving played 10 games for TB and scored 138.5 PPR points, 13.9 a game, finishing RB34.

He ran 173 times for 588 yards and 1 touchdown, and caught 30 of 35 targets for 277 yards.

He was on the field for 62 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, David Montgomery played 17 games for DET and scored 166.9 PPR points, 9.8 a game, finishing RB27.

He ran 158 times for 716 yards and 8 touchdowns, and caught 24 of 29 targets for 192 yards.

He was on the field for 37 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Bhayshul Tuten over Bucky Irving.
• Start Bucky Irving over Blake Corum.
• Start Braelon Allen over Bucky Irving.
• Start Jacory Croskey-Merritt over David Montgomery.
• Start David Montgomery over J.K. Dobbins.
• Start David Montgomery over Kaleb Johnson.