Ryan Nall, Artavis Pierce Updated Fantasy Impact After David Montgomery's Injury

The Chicago Bears ruled out tailback David Montgomery for Week 10 because of a concussion, leaving a thin group of running backs with a bigger workload Monday against the Minnesota Vikings.

For fantasy managers relying on Chicago's ground game—or simply needing a replacement for Montgomery—the Bears don't offer much in the way of viable help for multiple reasons. 

Chicago's depth in the backfield features an underwhelming Cordarrelle Patterson alongside second-year tailback Ryan Nall and rookie Artavis Pierce. Neither Nall nor Pierce has recorded any carries this season, and they shouldn't be considered an option for fantasy managers except in the deepest of leagues. Even then, it's hard to imagine there aren't better free agents available.

That's especially important considering not even the Bears are sold on implementing Nall and Pierce in the running game. 

According to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, head coach Matt Nagy may elevate former Pro Bowl tailback Lamar Miller from the practice squad ahead of Monday Night Football. 

"[Lamar's] a really good kid who has a lot of experience,” Nagy said. "Now he has had this [knee] injury that is not always easy to come back from. But when he was playing at his highest level, he was one of the best running backs in the NFL. So to have a guy like that, to me there’s an excitement of the possibility of him being able to fill a role for us."

A torn ACL cost Miller the 2019 season, but he's been on the Bears practice squad since Week 5.

Unfortunately for fantasy managers, that provides an even bigger risk. No matter who earns the bulk of the carries, the effectiveness of Chicago's run game will remain in question. 

Nagy turned over his play-calling duties on offense to offensive coordinator Bill Lazor on Friday, and it remains to be seen how balanced his strategy will look. 

There may be some potential to work with in the Bears' backfield, but it's unlikely to help any fantasy managers in Week 10.