Who Should I Start? Ray Davis or Woody Marks

Saturday, August 9, 7:07 PM

With Buffalo Bills star running back James Cook staging a hold-in and unwilling to play Saturday, Ray Davis earned the start in the team's 34-25 preseason-opening loss to the New York Giants. Davis rushed for just seven yards on four attempts and caught one of two targets for another seven yards. As the Bills' emergency kicker, his most memorable highlight came on a successful extra-point attempt in the second quarter. The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Davis joined the Bills as a fourth-round pick from Kentucky in 2024 and was a capable reserve behind Cook as a rookie. Davis appeared in all 17 of the Bills' regular-season games and totaled 442 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 113 rushing attempts. He also caught three TDs and pulled in 17 of his 19 targets for 189 yards. With third-down back Ty Johnson also in the fold, Davis took around 25% of offensive snaps last season. That should be the case again in 2025, but Davis might have an expanded role early on if Cook is unavailable. While Cook seems unlikely to sit out into Week 1 over dissatisfaction with his contract, Davis figures to be the main beneficiary if he does. Cook missed one game last season, a 23-20 win over the New York Jets in Week 6, and Davis accrued 152 total yards (97 rushing, 55 receiving) on 23 touches as Buffalo's go-to back.

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.