Who Should I Start? Alexander Mattison or Woody Marks

Monday, March 2, 6:41 AM

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks saw his outlook worsen on Monday after the team acquired David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions. While it's too early to tell how Marks and Montgomery will split snaps and touches, it's fair to say that the veteran might be the early favorite for the lead-back role. Montgomery had 908 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns last year, ranking as the overall RB27 in PPR leagues. He posted an impressive 4.53 yards per carry, a mark that is significantly higher than Marks' 3.59 YPC as a rookie in 2025. Even with Joe Mixon sidelined and Nick Chubb taking a major step back, Marks was limited to just 911 scrimmage yards, two rushing touchdowns, and three receiving touchdowns. The USC product will continue to offer a change of pace and figures to play passing downs, but he will likely lose an enormous amount of early-down and goal-line work to Montgomery. Entering the 2026 NFL season, Montgomery ranks a bit higher in redraft leagues than dynasty formats due to his age, but he's still a strong RB2 or RB3 in both. Meanwhile, Marks drops to the low-end RB3/flex tier in redraft leagues. If there's any consolation here, Marks could be an intriguing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues if the trade prompts managers to panic sell.