Woody

Marks

Playing through a shoulder injury, Marks kept getting stood up on the inside as the Texans’ passing attack disintegrated into a turnover-marred disaster. The No. 116 overall pick of the draft, Marks easily passed veteran Nick Chubb on the depth chart but was slowed by ankle issues down the stretch. Highly inefficient, he churned up just 703 yards on 196 carries (3.6 YPC). He was just as uninspiring by more advanced metrics, finishing in the bottom third in NextGenStats’ “rush yards over expected.” Free agent Chubb will likely be gone for 2026, but 25-year-old Marks didn’t do enough to stave off draft or free agent additions. He will nevertheless be the favorite for lead duties, making him a decent enough RB2/3 in dynasty leagues.

Marks was the primary engine of the offense against a stout Pittsburgh defensive front, keeping the wheels turning throughout to eventually find himself with a career-high 99 yards with under five minutes left to play. He would break through in a big way and eclipse the 100-yard threshold for the first time in his career on his final touch of the game, taking a handoff 13 yards to the house to send the Steelers into their offseason. Furthermore, he handled the vast majority of the backfield work in the absence of Jawhar Jordan, with veteran Nick Chubb doing most of the heavy lifting with the game in hand in the fourth quarter. Chubb ended with a respectable 48 yards on 10 carries. Marks could be tasked with another robust workload when the Texans travel to face the Patriots in Foxboro, which presents yet another difficult matchup on the ground for the rookie back.

He managed zero yards on two catches in three targets. Marks didn’t do much noteworthy — what is noteworthy in Week 18, anyway? — but he stayed healthy and was pulled with the rest of the starters at halftime. Marks will enter the playoffs as Houston’s No. 1 running back as they head to either Baltimore or Pittsburgh for the Wild Card round.

One expects more passing game involvement for such a capable receiving back, but alas, the rookie handled a run-centric role in today’s win. He made an acrobatic grab on his lone reception, though. Marks also made a nice play on a 19-yard run late in the second quarter. The offense was backed up to its own three-yard line, and Marks singlehandedly bailed them out by forcing a missed tackle on a counter run to the left before taking off on the explosive gain. He needed a breather in the fourth quarter after being leveled by Chargers OLB Khalil Mack on a four-yard loss, but he was able to return. Marks is an RB2 against the Colts in Week 18.

Marks sat out in Week 16 after logging just one limited practice session. The time off has seemingly paid off. He practiced fully this week and will be on the field as the Texans (10-5) jockey for position in the AFC South, trailing only the Jaguars (11-4). Marks is a volume-based, low-end RB2 for Week 17.

This should put him in line to reclaim a major role in the Texans backfield in Week 17 against the Chargers. Marks would be more of a low-end RB2 play against a good defense in what is projected to be a lower-scoring game, but volume should be on his side if he’s able to be active for the contest. Assuming he actually stays on the field, anyway.

Jawhar Jordan and Nick Chubb will split what would appear to be fantasy-valuable carries against the Raiders. Derek Stingley (oblique) is playing off a questionable tag. Also inactive for the Texans are LB Azeez Al-Shaair (ankle/knee), WR Braxton Berrios, QB Graham Mertz, CB Ameer Speed and T Jarrett Kingston.

As Rapoport notes, expect plenty of Nick Chubb, who is expected to play through a rib injury today. Chubb should indeed lead the backfield, but it wouldn’t be surprising for Jawhar Jordan to see some work as well. Jordan ran for 101 yards on 15 carries with Marks going down early last week. As the top back versus a dead-on-arrival Raiders squad, Chubb is in the RB3 ranks for Week 16. Jordan is a high-risk RB4.

It’s an aggressive listing based on one limited practice, one that perhaps augurs that the Texans are just managing Marks through some existing injuries that they know are going to be tough to overcome in-season. If Marks starts, he’ll be a high-end RB2 against the Raiders. If not, Jawhar Jordan will be a worthwhile plug-and-play starter in Week 16.

Texans beat writer Jonathan Alexander said Marks was seen at practice with a helmet, a good sign that he should log at least a limited session on Friday. The rookie running back was a DNP for the first two practices to start the week, but he could draw a questionable tag if he’s able to practice on a limited basis before the weekend. We will provide an update on his official status when the team releases its final injury report.