Texans List David Montgomery Inactive: Woody Marks Gets Week 7 RB2 Window

The Houston Texans officially listed running back David Montgomery inactive for Sunday’s Week 7 game against the New York Giants. Montgomery will miss a second consecutive game with a groin injury, putting Woody Marks in position to lead Houston’s backfield again.

Houston released its final inactive list at 10:30 a.m. Central on October 25. Montgomery joined safeties Reed Blankenship and Jalen Pitre, tackle Blake Fisher, guard Febechi Nwaiwu, tackle Nate Thomas and tight end Marlin Klein among the seven Texans ruled out.

Montgomery’s final status and what changed

The inactive announcement confirms what Houston’s Friday injury report already indicated. Montgomery did not practice Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and carried an out designation into the weekend because of the groin injury.

The Texans’ official Week 7 injury report also shows how thin the offense is behind the primary replacement. Montgomery is unavailable, and Marks plus veteran Dare Ogunbowale are the active-roster backfield options. That gives Marks the clearest path to early-down carries, passing-down snaps and goal-line work.

Why Woody Marks moves into the RB2 conversation

Marks has 58 carries for 205 yards and two touchdowns through six games, plus 13 catches for 79 yards. Those totals come from the Texans’ official player statistics and establish both a rushing base and usable receiving involvement.

His Week 6 workload is the most useful comparison. With Montgomery sidelined against Jacksonville, Marks handled 15 carries for 56 yards and caught two passes for 25 yards. The 17 touches and 81 scrimmage yards are a stronger Week 7 indicator than Houston’s season-long depth-chart order.

Football Nation’s projection is role-driven: Marks profiles as a volume-based RB2 or strong flex in most formats. His 3.5 yards per carry this season warns against treating him as an automatic ceiling play, but the combination of projected touches, receiving access and touchdown equity keeps him comfortably in the startable tier.

Week 7 fantasy football plan

Start Marks over committee backs who need a long touchdown to pay off. In PPR formats, his receiving work provides an important floor even if Houston’s line struggles to create clean rushing lanes.

Ogunbowale is a deep-league contingency rather than a standard-league start. He could handle obvious passing situations or relief snaps, but Houston has not announced a split that would justify projecting equal work.

Montgomery should remain rostered where bench space allows. This is his second straight absence, so managers should treat his Week 8 availability as uncertain until the Texans publish a new practice report. Do not assume a one-week absence or a full workload on return.

What Montgomery’s absence changes against the Giants

Houston loses its most experienced between-the-tackles runner and a proven short-yardage finisher. Montgomery has 52 carries for 138 yards and two rushing touchdowns this season, along with seven catches for 67 yards and another score.

The official NFL Week 7 inactive tracker confirms the matchup kicks off at 1 p.m. Eastern at NRG Stadium. Houston can still build a balanced plan around Marks, but the offense may lean more on C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell and its expanded receiver group if early rushing efficiency is poor.

What to watch on Houston’s first two drives

The first checkpoint is third-down personnel. If Marks stays on the field in hurry-up and protection situations, his fantasy ceiling rises because he can add catches to his rushing volume. If Ogunbowale consistently replaces him, Marks becomes more touchdown-dependent.

The second checkpoint is red-zone usage. Marks scored twice on the ground in Houston’s first six games, while Montgomery scored twice on 52 carries. Whoever gets the first carry inside the 10-yard line will offer the clearest evidence of the coaching staff’s preferred goal-line plan.

Bottom line

Montgomery is officially inactive, not merely questionable or expected to sit. Marks has the best combination of available workload and receiving value in Houston’s backfield and belongs in Week 7 RB2 or flex lineups. Ogunbowale is a deep-format fallback, while Montgomery managers must wait for next week’s practice progression before projecting a return.

Sources checked October 25, 2026: Houston Texans official inactives, Texans Week 7 injury report, Houston player statistics and NFL.com’s league-wide inactive tracker. Fantasy recommendations are Football Nation analysis.