Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Woody Marks

Monday, September 22, 12:34 PM

Although Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. wasn't all that efficient (3.5 yards per carry) in his 2025 debut in the team's 41-24 blowout win over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, he did lead the team with 11 carries. Rodriguez was a healthy scratch the first two weeks, but he was elevated to the active roster for Week 3 after Austin Ekeler tore his Achilles in Week 2. The 24-year-old ran for 39 yards on his 11 carries and was not utilized in the passing game. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt was second on the team with eight carries, and he, too, was inefficient with just 26 yards on the ground. Jeremy McNichols and quarterback Marcus Mariota combined for 10 rushing attempts and two touchdowns against the Raiders. Croskey-Merritt has the most upside in the Commanders' backfield moving forward with Ekeler done for the year, but Rodriguez is worth a waiver-wire pickup if you have JCM rostered or are looking for RB depth. Rodriguez is currently rostered in only 5% of Yahoo leagues.

Monday, November 17, 8:04 AM

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks played 66% of snaps in Sunday's win over the Titans, compared to just 26% for Nick Chubb. The rookie seems to be taking over as the team's lead option in the backfield, but this week, he only managed 44 rushing yards on his 18 carries while adding a seven-yard reception on his only target. He remains a dual-threat running back with a high ceiling for the Texans, who come home to face the Bills on a short week this Thursday night. They'll need to be much more effective on offense if they want to keep up with the high-scoring Buffalo offense after managing just 16 points and one offensive touchdown against the Titans. Marks should be a key to finding more success, but he'll remain a "boom-or-bust" play even in his favorable Week 12 matchup.