Who Should I Start? Brashard Smith or Woody Marks


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
1.9 8.2 0.1 0.2 1.7 0.0

Brashard Smith News

Brashard Smith Has Path to a Larger Role

Monday, February 16, 5:28 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith could have the opportunity to take on an expanded role during the 2026 season. Smith was buried in a depth role for most of his rookie season in 2025, especially with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt leading the backfield. However, the Chiefs' running back dynamic could change in 2026. Both Pacheco and Hunt are free agents this offseason, and it's unclear whether either of them will re-sign. If only one or neither of them returns next season, Smith will have a path to a larger workload. He had a modest 323 scrimmage yards and one touchdown this past year, so he certainly hasn't proven himself ready for a lead-back role. However, he could share the backfield with someone like Pacheco or another mid-range, experienced back. Either way, Smith is absolutely trending upward ahead of the 2026 season. He's an intriguing buy in dynasty leagues, especially if his current fantasy manager has already grown impatient.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
12.4 46.3 0.5 2.4 17.0 0.1

Woody Marks News

Woody Marks Loses Grasp on Texans' Backfield

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.


Brashard Smith vs. Woody Marks

Still trying to decide between Smith and Marks? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Brashard Smith is projected to score 1.9 points this week while Woody Marks is projected to score 12.4 points.