WoodyMarks

News: 4 days agoMarks is expected to handle a lead role out of the backfield during Sunday's game against the Jaguars in London after Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans announced Monday that fellow running back David Montgomery (groin) is viewed as week-to-week, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Spin: Montgomery logged just nine snaps in the Texans' 26-3 win over the Titans in Week 5 before departing with the injury, which cleared the way for Marks to see his heftiest workload of the season. The second-year player out of USC ended up taking the field for 56 of 66 snaps, finishing with 62 yards on 15 carries to go with four catches for 23 yards on four targets. With Montgomery on track to miss at least the London game and potentially additional contests beyond that, Marks should have a decent chance at replicating his Week 5 touch count. Beyond Marks, Dare Ogunbowale is the only other healthy running back on the 53-man roster, while Jawhar Jordan and Deuce Vaughn loom as potential candidates to be elevated from the practice squad to add depth to the position group amid Montgomery's expected absence.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Marks, a fourth-round NFL draft pick in 2025, played a substantial role as a rookie, soaking up 220 touches (22nd among RBs), but he struggled with efficiency (his 3.59 yards per carry and 1.61 yards after contact both ranked near the basement) and found the end zone only five times. The result was 9.4 fantasy points per game and one top-10 fantasy outing. Marks appears ticketed for a lesser role in 2026 now that David Montgomery was brought in to serve as the likely leader of a backfield committee. Especially in an offense that doesn't use backs in the passing game very much, Marks is no more than a bench/insurance stash.