Woody Marks Fantasy Overview

Production & Fantasy Finishes

Marks opened his rookie year behind veteran RB Nick Chubb. Chubb outsnapped him in each of the first three games. Chubb injured his ribs in Week 4 allowing Marks to break out, finishing the game with 21 touches for 119 yards and 2 total TDs.

Chubb and Marks split snaps after that. Marks averaged a 40.21% snap share over the first eight weeks of the season, handling 38% of the RB carries. He did lead RBs with a 7.6% target share over that time.

His breakout in Week 4 combined with an aging and injured Chubb led to a role change. Marks outsnapped Chubb in Week 5 and 7, then he became the starting RB in Week 9.

Marks’ average snap share increased to 61.30% over the final nine weeks as a starter. He also handled 59.65% of the RB carries. His target share did dip to 5.8% over that period with less passes in general going to RBs.

The increased playing time led to three top-15 fantasy finishes in those final weeks, but Marks still struggled at times, finishing outside the top-30 RBs in six of his nine starts.

Usage & Role

The efficiency picture for Marks was poor across the board. Among 51 RBs with 90+ carries, he ranked 46th in yards per carry (3.6), 34th in rush yards over expected per attempt (0.16), 46th in yards after contact per attempt, and 43rd in PFF rush grade.

His yards after contact per attempt of 2.59 ranked 46th, pointing to Marks doing little to break tackles upon contact.

Marks showed more promise as a receiver, especially after the catch. Among 43 RBs with 30+ targets, his yards after catch per reception of 9.3 ranked 12th. His PFF receiving grade ranked 27th among qualifying backs.

Marks still struggled to produce consistently through the air, ranking 33rd among RBs in yards per route run at 0.86.

His biggest weakness showed up near the goal line. Marks converted just 1 of 9 carries inside the 5-yard line into scores and finished with 5 total TDs against 6.3 expected TDs.

Efficiency & Regression

Houston ranked 13th in rush attempts and 22nd in rushing yards per game (109.1), with a pedestrian 29th in yards per carry as a team.

The O-line was a hindrance on the ground, ranking dead last in ESPN run-block win rate.

The Texans ranked 27th in rushing TDs meaning the red-zone situation at RB was equally starved. Even when RBs got carries near the goal line, the offense failed to convert at a league-average rate.

The O-line's run-blocking grades are the bigger story for Marks. Houston ranked 21st in PFF run-block grade, 32nd in ESPN run-block win rate, and 24th in adjusted line yards, all bottom-10 marks that make it harder for any back to produce efficiently, regardless of talent.

Offensive Context

Marks played in 16 of 17 games in 2025, sitting out one game due to a sore ankle.

He also seemed to visit the blue medical tent almost every week, though he usually returned quickly. Getting nicked up that often as a rookie is worth noting, but missing only one game for the ankle is still a positive. The week he missed was the only one where he was labeled as Questionable.

Projected Role & Competition

Marks enters 2026 as the clear No. 2 behind David Montgomery.

Houston acquired Montgomery from Detroit in March, sending OL Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Lions. That's a meaningful price for a backfield that needed a lead back. The Texans clearly envision Montgomery as their featured runner in 2026.

That leaves Marks as the No. 2 who could play on passing downs and spell Montgomery at times.

Supporting Cast

C.J. Stroud returns as the starter but is coming off a down year (QB22 in fantasy points per game) with declining efficiency. That matters for Marks because Houston's pass rate of 57.4% (14th) and low RB target share (13.2%, 29th) structurally limit what any back in this offense can produce in the receiving game.

They have reshuffled the O-line somewhat with free agents Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith expected to start along with rookie first-round pick Keylan Rutledge.

The O-line additions don’t inspire confidence, with both Teller and Smith ranking in the low end of starters last season. Teller ranked 48th among 103 guards with 100+ snaps last season in PFF run-blocking grade while Smith ranked 56th among 106 tackles. Rutledge offers upside, ranking 15th among 439 FBS guards last season.

Paths To Ceiling

Marks' ceiling case obviously starts with a Montgomery injury.

Short of that, the second-year RB will need to retain the backfield receiving lead and grow his target volume to present any fantasy upside. If he beats the veteran for receiving duties to open the season and Houston reverses last year’s tumble in RB target share, Marks could land somewhere in the range of what Dylan Sampson (33 catches for the Browns) and Tyjae Spears (45 for the Titans, in 13 games) did last year.

They finished 42nd and 61st in PPR points per game, respectively.

Risk Factors

Marks could become a non-factor after Houston traded for Montgomery. His middling 3.6 yards per carry, lack of rushing juice, and likely poor O-line could make him unusable in fantasy -- especially if the passing-game usage doesn’t increase.