Who is the better 2026 fantasy pick, Aaron Jones or David Montgomery?
Our value-over-replacement board currently favors Jones on total role and receiving work. The public top five at running back is on the running back rankings page.
2026 draft season · RB
Aaron Jones vs David Montgomery: who should I draft?
Jones versus Montgomery is a veteran-committee question from opposite directions. Jones keeps the primary role in a backfield he has anchored for years, with receiving value that has never left; Montgomery is the physical short-yardage half of a split in one of the league's best offenses, which makes him a touchdown bet with a weekly baseline. Our value-over-replacement board currently favors Jones on total role — the live order is on the running back rankings page, and the figures behind it are subscriber-only at $5/month or $40/year.
Workload and role
Jones still handles early downs and much of the passing work, and his elusiveness has survived the mileage. A back who keeps both jobs in his thirties is doing something most backs cannot.
Montgomery's role is narrower by design: the hard yards, the goal line, the clock-killing carries. It is a good living inside a scoring offense, but it depends on the offense arriving in the red zone.
Situation and offense
Montgomery benefits from one of the best offensive lines and scoring environments in the sport, which is exactly why his narrow role still pays. Situation is doing much of his work.
Jones's environment is more modest, but his role is broader, and breadth of role is usually the safer bet at this price.
Age and draft approach
Both are in the late-career window, so treat either as a one-season asset rather than a keeper. The tiebreaker is format: receptions favor Jones, touchdowns favor Montgomery.
In standard leagues the gap narrows to almost nothing; in full-point PPR it widens clearly toward Jones.
See the numbers behind the verdict
This page is deliberately qualitative: no projected points, ranks or value-over-replacement figures appear here. Subscribers see the full RB board, every scoring format and the weekly refresh — $5/month or $40/year.
Questions about Aaron Jones vs David Montgomery
Is David Montgomery touchdown-dependent?
Somewhat — his carries are steady but his scoring concentrates in short-yardage situations. That kind of profile wins weeks in bunches and frustrates in between.
Where can I see their projections?
Projected points and value-over-replacement figures for both are subscriber-only, at $5/month or $40/year.