Who Should I Start? Dameon Pierce or Woody Marks

Wednesday, August 13, 10:50 AM

In one of the more interesting backfield situations in the league, Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce is now seeing first-team reps, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC in Houston. The status of Joe Mixon (foot) is up in the air as the season approaches, while new addition Nick Chubb (head) has also missed time, to say nothing of the major knee injury he suffered in 2023. Pierce rushed for 939 yards as a rookie and has had fleeting moments of success since, but mostly in a secondary role. A committee situation may be worth monitoring as the season approaches.

Sunday, August 24, 8:33 AM

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks entered the final preseason game after Dameon Pierce got the start, but Marks scored Houston's first touchdown of the day on their way to a 26-7 win over the Lions. Marks finished the day with 19 rushing yards on six carries and three catches on three targets for 20 more yards through the air. He finished the preseason with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, along with four catches for 20 yards. Marks could have a role early in the season if Joe Mixon (foot/ankle) is unavailable, as looks likely to be the case. The Texans will likely go with more proven options in Nick Chubb and Pierce as their primary replacements for Mixon, but Marks flashed enough potential that he could get a look early in the year as well. The rookie from USC is a flier in late rounds of standard leagues to see how his role shakes out.