Woody Marks Becomes a Buy-Low Target as Houston Adds Montgomery
Woody Marks enters 2026 in a smaller role than the one he held when last season ended, and that drop in projected volume is exactly what makes him interesting to dynasty managers right now.
Marks closed 2025 as Houston’s lead runner. He finished with 911 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 220 touches across 16 games, eight of them starts. He led the Texans in rushing with 703 yards, though he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. The more durable part of his profile came as a receiver. He caught 24 passes for 208 yards and scored three times through the air, more than he scored on the ground.
Then Houston traded for David Montgomery this offseason, sending guard Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick to Detroit. Montgomery is projected to open 2026 as the lead back. That pushes Marks into the No. 2 spot and likely trims his early-down and goal-line work.
For fantasy purposes, the news cuts two ways. The ceiling shrinks in the short term. Montgomery is the more likely option near the end zone, and goal-line touches drive the kind of touchdown totals that lift weekly scoring. Marks should not be drafted as a back-end starter on that workload alone.
The floor, though, is sturdier than the depth chart suggests. Marks is set to keep the passing-down role he handled often last season, and receiving work holds steady value in points-per-reception formats regardless of who starts. A back who catches passes and stays on the field for third downs retains standalone value and gains more if the situation in front of him changes.
That last point is where the buy-low case lives. Montgomery turns 29 this year and has limited time left on his contract. Houston’s depth behind the top two is thin. Jawhar Jordan is expected to compete for a reserve job, and the room offers little proven production otherwise. If Montgomery’s workload tapers or he misses time, Marks is the clear next man up, and he has already shown he can carry a lead role over a full season.
Marks also stayed mostly available in 2025, missing only Week 16 with a light ankle sprain. He carries no reported injury into the offseason program. His postseason was quiet, with 17 rushing yards and a lost fumble in a 28–16 divisional-round loss to New England, but he had posted 112 scrimmage yards a week earlier in a wild-card win over Pittsburgh.
Houston opens the season at home against Buffalo on Sept. 13. Managers willing to hold a contingent asset with a real pass-catching floor can likely acquire Marks at a discount before that workload picture settles.