David Montgomery or RJ Harvey: Who should I start in fantasy football? (Week 1, 2025 season)

When you're facing a tough start/sit decision on your fantasy football team, you may end up having to choose between David Montgomery or RJ Harvey. Which player would Basement Brewed Fantasy Football recommend you start? Let's go through the details to find out.

Have a start/it dilemma that needs answering? Each week during the 2025 NFL season, we'll be going LIVE on YouTube to discuss your start/sit questions. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that notification bell so you don't miss out!

Historical Player Data

	David Montgomery	RJ Harvey
Floor (75% of games)	9+ PPR points	N/A - Rookie
Median (50% of games)	13+ PPR points	N/A - Rookie
Ceiling (25% of games)	17+ PPR points	N/A - Rookie
Through the Roof (Top 10% of games)	22+ PPR points	N/A - Rookie

RJ Harvey Rookie Profile

RJ Harvey — an already 24-year-old 2nd round RB from UCF — is an explosive, well-built running back who landed with the Denver Broncos earlier than expected (60th overall). In college, he showed burst and ability to hit home runs, which can be seen in his 4.40 forty-yard dash time and strong collegiate career explosive run rate.

The biggest red flags to Harvey as a fantasy investment are his age (he's already 24 years old) and that he appears to be a bit limited as a pass-catcher both on film and in the box scores, which *could* limit his upside in fantasy football if Sean Payton and company view him as more of a Mark Ingram than an Alvin Kamara.

Still, Harvey was an expensive draft pick for the Broncos and will walk right into significant opportunity as a potential new RB1, or at least in a 1A/1B time share, in a Sean Payton backfield that has produced 35 top 35 RBs in 20 years as an Offensive Coordinator or Head Coach in the NFL.

Game Scripts

Lions at Packers projects as a potential shootout, as their 47.5 point over/under is tied for the 3rd highest among all 16 games on the week 1 slate. There's plenty of fantasy football upside to this contest. That said, the Lions' implied point total is a sliver below average — 22.5 points is tied with the Falcons for the 14th "lowest" total on the 32 team slate — suggesting a modest output from Detroit's offense. Meanwhile, the narrow spread suggests a close game and neutral game script that will feature a balanced approach from both offenses.

Titans at Broncos projects as a high-scoring, dominant home win for the Broncos. Their 25.5 point implied point total is the 5th highest among all 32 teams on the week 1 slate, suggesting plenty of touchdown opportunities and fantasy football points for anyone wearing a Broncos' jersey. Their dominant 8.5 point spread — the widest spread among all 16 games on the week 1 slate — suggests a blowout win and supremely positive game script that could lead to a spike in rushing volume as the Broncos look to put the game away in the 2nd half.

David Montgomery: Bottom Line

TD-dependent, higher end RB 3/flex. Expect David Montgomery ~9–13 PPR points on 10–14 touches; the path to 15+ points is a TD with 15–18 touches. Green Bay’s softness vs RB receiving tilts upside toward Gibbs, keeping Montgomery’s floor modest.

RJ Harvey: Bottom Line

RB 2/3 with TD-driven upside in a high-scoring, positive-script game. Expect RJ Harvey ~10–15 PPR points on 11–15 touches; the path to 18+ PPR points 18+ touches and a score (or two) against a Titans defense that gave up the most RB scores in football last year. JK Dobbins’ presence keeps the floor volatile.

Should I start David Montgomery or RJ Harvey?

David Montgomery has shown the ability, even as the clear "1B", or even #2 back, to produce fantasy-relevant games for the Detroit Lions. But for me, the game environment for the Broncos, coupled with a higher likelihood for more touches, has me selecting RJ Harvey.

Week Winners + Discord = Winning your league in 2025

Portions of this article come directly from our Week Winner tool (formerly Heat Map), designed to help you make more confident decisions on your way to a championship. And our private Discord server features a specific Start/Sit channel where any questions you have can get answered in real time - plus our community of hardcore fantasy football players talking DFS, sports betting, dynasty, best ball, and more. From draft to trophy, we have you covered with every decision along the way.

Sign up to Basement Brewed Fantasy Football today and start making smarter lineup decisions that can dominate through the 2025 NFL season.