The biggest fantasy question in the Houston offense throughout this offseason has arguably been the projected backfield split. The Texans acquired veteran David Montgomery from Detroit and guaranteed him $10 million on a two-year extension that runs through 2027. That seemed to slot the former Lion clearly ahead of second-year incumbent Woody Marks, but the young guy has seemed to build recent momentum. Now it appears we might be looking at an even split.
What They're Saying: Marks Looking Good
Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, in the What We Know section of a Sunday article: "The distribution of carries between David Montgomery and Woody Marks might not be 50-50 but it will be close. The Texans have utliized both nearly evenly throughout camp. And both players have produced. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley doesn't typically go away from what's working. Montgomery and Marks have two different styles, which will allow for the Texans to mix and match them. What's more likely to happen is the Texans feed the hot hand based on whichever running back is producing at the time."
HC DeMeco Ryans on Marks, via Texans Wire: "Woody has shown confidence back since OTAs. Seeing him running the football, looking faster, quicker, but also in the passing game, excelling. He is very define at the top of his routes, which is cool to see. He's a tough cover because he's so quick. He can beat you deep and also beat you underneath as well. He's done a really great job."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: Tough to Trust Montgomery for Week 1
Ryans' praise for Marks' receiving work seems especially noteworthy. That's likely the easiest path for the second-year back to take snaps from Montgomery.
The veteran has been solid in that area throughout his career, but he has finished two of his past three seasons short of 1.5 receptions per game.
Montgomery obviously lost those opportunities to Jahmyr Gibbs, a much more dynamic competitor than Marks. But Ryans' glowing review of Marks' quickness and downfield ability point to upside that differs from Montgomery's skill set.
We'll have to see exactly how things split between the two RBs once the regular season begins. This is reason enough to lean away from starting Montgomery in Week 1, though. And the recent buzz makes Marks more attractive in the double-digit rounds.
