# Why did Jahmyr Gibbs edge Bijan Robinson in fantasy football running back tiers?

Here's the short version: **David Montgomery leaving Detroit is the biggest reason** Gibbs is jumping Bijan in some tiers. Let me break it down.

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**The Montgomery factor.** Montgomery was traded to Houston, and Detroit brought in Isiah Pacheco as pure depth — not a direct replacement. Dan Campbell confirmed Gibbs as the "bell cow," targeting **75-80% snap share** (up from 67% in 2025). (from the Jahmyr Gibbs page)

**The "what if" is already proven.** When Montgomery missed games in 2024-2025, Gibbs averaged **32.6 PPR points** per contest. At full bell-cow volume (300 carries, ~100 targets), his career averages project to **1,600+ rushing yards, 17-18 TDs, plus 79 catches for 630+ yards**. (from the Jahmyr Gibbs page)

**Gibbs' receiving role is elite.** From Week 11 onward in 2025, he led all RBs in target share (19%), receiving yards per game (48.6), and first-read share — making him a PPR cheat code. Sal Vetri noted that Pacheco is "less versatile" and "not as good from a footwork standpoint" than Montgomery, meaning Gibbs' role is even more secure. [hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igGIUf7CkT4&t=68s)

**Now, the counterpoint:** Bijan *still* leads the FantasyPros consensus ranks at RB1. He led the NFL with **2,298 scrimmage yards in 2025** and has back-to-back top-3 finishes. The Fantasy Headliners had Gibbs at RB2 in their tier, saying "if you wanted to argue him for number one overall, I wouldn't argue against it." [hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ojb2empIhY&t=1568s)

**Bottom line:** The 1.01 vs 1.02 debate comes down to **Gibbs' newly unlocked ceiling** (Montgomery-free) vs **Bijan's proven track record**. Some rankers lean Gibbs because they'd rather bet on the guy whose path to 300+ touches just opened up, than the guy who already produced 2,298 scrimmage yards and might have minor regression baked in.

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Answered 2026-07-22 by ChatFFB — fantasy football answers from a live news wiki.
Source: https://chatffb.com/ask/why-did-jahmyr-gibbs-edge-bijan-robinson-in-fantasy-football-running-b