Who Should I Start? Brashard Smith or Woody Marks

Monday, April 13, 5:29 AM

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks handled more than 230 opportunities as a rookie, the third-highest total of any first-year player in his class, despite being the ninth running back selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. He flirted with low RB2 status over the second half of the season but got there on volume alone, as his efficiency numbers ranked near the bottom of the league. Marks could buck the trend, but historically, rookie running backs who receive that sort of workload after falling to the third day of the draft tend to get there because of a lack of surrounding talent, and that kind of situational success has been mostly unsustainable. In Marks' case, Houston has already added David Montgomery via trade, and he should be able to add the sort of between-the-tackles presence they may have thought they had in Nick Chubb last season. Marks is unlikely to see another 200 carries in year two, but where he could see a boost is through the passing game. He saw only a 6.7% target share after leaving USC as one of the most prolific pass-catching backs in college football history. With Montgomery in the fold to handle early down work, Marks could settle into his more natural role as a third down, change of pace back, offsetting some of his fantasy production as a receiver, even if his overall volume should drop.