Damien Williams' Fantasy Outlook After David Montgomery Injury

Fantasy managers have to start exploring the market for a running back after David Montgomery went down with a knee injury in the second half of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions. 

The Bears announced Montgomery has been ruled out for the rest of the game. 

Expectations were high for Montgomery after the Bears made him a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He fulfilled that potential last season with 1,508 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns on 301 touches. 

In traditional scoring leagues, Montgomery was the sixth-highest-scoring running back with 210.8 points. 

The injury was especially disheartening because Montgomery was having a fantastic game before it occurred. He ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. 

Backup running back Tarik Cohen tore his ACL in Week 3 last season and is on the physically unable to perform list. He isn't eligible to return until after Week 6. 

Damien Williams signed with the Bears as a free agent during the offseason. He sat out the 2020 campaign because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 29-year-old was an effective role player for the Kansas City Chiefs with 1,127 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns in 27 games between 2018 and 2019. 

Going from Kansas City's offense, which features arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, to Chicago with rookie Justin Fields is going to limit Williams' scoring opportunities. He did run well against the Lions, with 55 yards and a score on eight carries. The veteran also caught two passes for 15 yards.

Given Cohen's absence and the ongoing development of Fields at quarterback, Williams could have decent value as a flex player depending on the matchup. The Lions aren't a good barometer to judge anyone by given their winless record. 

Next week's game against the Las Vegas Raiders will provide a lot more insight into how effective Williams can be, if Montgomery is unable to play.