David Montgomery Misses Practice Again: Woody Marks' Week 7 Fantasy Outlook

Information cutoff: October 22, 2026 at 5:55 AM Central. Houston Texans running back David Montgomery did not practice Wednesday because of a groin injury, extending the same issue that kept him out of the Week 6 win over Jacksonville. Houston has not ruled him out for Sunday against the New York Giants, so Thursday and Friday participation remain the controlling checkpoints.

For fantasy managers, the actionable answer is conditional: Woody Marks belongs in the RB2 or flex range if Montgomery is inactive again. If Montgomery returns to meaningful practice and is cleared, Marks becomes a more volatile flex because Houston can restore a committee. Jawhar Jordan remains the secondary contingency after producing an efficient relief outing in London.

Montgomery's Week 7 status

The Wednesday DNP is meaningful because this is not a new injury. Coach DeMeco Ryans described Montgomery as week to week after the groin problem, and Montgomery then missed all three Week 6 practices before Houston ruled him out against Jacksonville. He opened Week 7 with another nonparticipation.

That sequence lowers confidence in an immediate full workload, but it does not create an official Sunday designation. A return to limited work Thursday would keep the door open. A second straight DNP would make Friday's report and the game-day inactive list especially important. Fantasy managers should not treat a Wednesday practice label as a final decision.

Before the injury, Montgomery had 52 carries for 138 yards and two rushing touchdowns through five games, according to the Texans' official player log. His workload had already declined from 20 carries in Week 1 to five in Week 5, so even a return would not guarantee the same role he held early in the season.

Why Woody Marks is the priority contingency

Marks handled 15 carries for 56 yards and caught two passes for 25 yards in Houston's 34-31 Week 6 win over Jacksonville. That was 17 touches and 81 yards from scrimmage in the first game Montgomery missed. The Texans did not use Marks as a true solo back, but they trusted him with the largest share of the backfield work.

The second-year back now has 58 carries for 205 yards and two rushing touchdowns through six games. His 3.5 yards per carry do not guarantee efficiency, yet the volume and receiving involvement give him multiple paths to useful fantasy production when Montgomery sits.

Houston also used Jawhar Jordan as a change-of-pace runner in London. Jordan gained 43 yards and scored on six carries. That performance matters because it caps the assumption that every Montgomery touch transfers to Marks. The likeliest replacement structure is Marks leading the backfield with Jordan rotating in, particularly if Houston again leans on heavier personnel.

Fantasy football plan

Half-PPR guidance: add Marks wherever he remains available. He is the clear first claim among Houston backs because Week 6 supplied direct evidence of a lead-share role. Start him as an RB2 or flex if Montgomery is ruled out or remains inactive Sunday.

If Montgomery practices fully and carries no game designation, both backs move closer to flex territory because touch distribution becomes uncertain. Montgomery would retain touchdown and short-yardage appeal, but managers should not assume an immediate return to 20 touches after a multiweek groin issue.

If Montgomery is limited and listed questionable, Marks is still the safer roster hold, but lineup decisions should preserve a Sunday pivot. Houston and New York kick off at noon Central, which means the inactive list should arrive before most Sunday lineups lock.

Jordan is a deeper-league add rather than a standard-league priority. His Week 6 touchdown shows he can matter, but six carries are not enough to project a stable standalone role. He becomes more interesting only if both Montgomery and another Houston back are unavailable or if the coaching staff signals a larger rotation.

What this means for Houston's offense

Houston can keep its basic structure if Montgomery sits. Marks handled early-down work and contributed as a receiver, while Jordan gave the offense a fresh runner. The Texans also used six or more offensive linemen on 35.6 percent of their plays against Jacksonville, the highest rate by any team in a game this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats reporting.

That heavy-personnel approach can support the running backs, but it does not guarantee a favorable fantasy game script. Houston still needs to decide how it distributes red-zone work, and the Giants' injured defense will have multiple moving pieces by Sunday. Marks' value comes primarily from projected opportunity, not from assuming another 34-point output.

The strongest counterargument

The case against aggressively ranking Marks is that Montgomery could return late in the week and reclaim the most valuable touches. Groin injuries can also affect workload even after a player is active, making coach comments, practice progression and pregame reporting more important than a simple active or inactive label.

The counter to that concern is practical: Marks already showed that Houston will give him a fantasy-usable role when Montgomery cannot play. Managers do not need to predict the entire backfield today. They need to roster the clearest contingency and update the ranking when the team supplies better evidence.

Next checkpoints

Watch Thursday participation first. Any upgrade from DNP to limited would improve Montgomery's chances, while another absence would make a normal Sunday workload less likely. Friday brings the official game designation. Sunday inactives provide the final availability answer approximately 90 minutes before kickoff.

Current Football Nation verdict: keep Montgomery rostered, prioritize Marks as the direct fantasy contingency and avoid overpaying for Jordan in ordinary leagues. Marks is a startable RB2 or flex only if the late-week evidence continues to point away from Montgomery.

Sources

Houston Texans, Week 7 Injury Report: https://www.houstontexans.com/news/week-7-injury-report-texans-vs-giants

Houston Texans, David Montgomery player log: https://www.houstontexans.com/team/players-roster/david-montgomery/

Houston Texans, Woody Marks player log: https://www.houstontexans.com/team/players-roster/woody-marks/logs/

NFL.com, Week 6 Texans-Jaguars analysis and heavy-personnel rate: https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-season-week-6-what-we-learned-from-sunday-s-games

NFL.com, October 21 league news roundup: https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-news-roundup-latest-league-updates-from-wednesday-oct-21