Who Should I Start? Woody Marks or Ollie Gordon II

Friday, September 26, 7:37 PM

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks had his most involved game in the NFL last week against the Jaguars, and he could be in for a breakout game in a favorable matchup against the Titans, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to running backs this season. The fourth-round pick from USC is a proven producer as a receiver out of the backfield and took over more responsibility from Dare Ogunbowale in Week 3, serving as the clear second option in the backfield behind Nick Chubb. Marks played 11% of snaps in Week 1, 27% in Week 2, and then his playing time jumped to 48% in Week 3. Marks had six carries for 27 yards and one catch for nine more yards, but he has flashed a higher upside than those totals indicate. He could pass Chubb for playing time sometime this season, and even if it's an even split this week, he has enough upside to potentially have a breakout performance. He's only the RB31 in RotoBaller's rankings this week, so he still is high-risk as a flex play, but he's definitely one of the top rookies to watch this weekend if you're expecting one to break through with a big game.

Tuesday, September 23, 4:20 PM

Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II had a big preseason and got good sleeper buzz as a result. However, once the regular season started, he played just 12 snaps in Week 1 and five snaps in Week 2. In those two contests, he had three carries for just 12 yards. Even with Jaylen Wright (knee) off the injury report, Gordon was much more active in Week 3. While he still only played 25% of snaps, he did get nine carries and totaled 38 yards and a touchdown. His score came on the first possession of the game, when he took over for starter De'Von Achane in the red zone. Gordon is much more suited for tough running between the tackles than Achane, while Achane is excellent in space. The two could develop into a nice specialized tandem going forward, and the Dolphins need them to carry the offense while Tua Tagovailoa continues to struggle. Gordon gets good matchups against the Jets and Panthers the next two weeks and is a solid name to consider off the waiver wire in deep leagues.