Houston Texans

Woody Marks

RB

As a rookie fourth-round pick in 2025, Marks led the Texans in rushing yards (703) but averaged just 3.6 yards per tote. Poor offensive line play was a factor in Marks' inability to churn out big gains on the ground, though Houston appears to have upgraded that group with the signings of veteran guard Wyatt Teller and offensive tackle Braden Smith and the selection of center/guard Keylan Rutledge in the first round of the draft. While the presence of Montgomery will likely limit Marks' touches on early downs, any improvement in his efficiency as a runner to go along with a heightened role on passing downs -- he shined as a pass catcher with a 24-208-3 receiving line as a rookie -- may be enough for Marks to build on his first-year production. The Texans are also looking to take advantage of Marks' shiftiness in space by deploying him on kickoff returns.

David Montgomery

RB

Montgomery is positioned to serve as Houston's lead running back after arriving from Detroit via trade this offseason, and Houston appears prepared to use him in a workhorse role. Barrett praised Montgomery's physical running style, blocking ability and leadership, while emphasizing the veteran's mentality and consistency. With an upgraded offensive line and little proven competition beyond Woody Marks, Montgomery looks poised for a substantial workload, and his skill set could allow the Texans to find greater success in the red zone and in play action, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

C.J. Stroud

QB

"There was a lot of progress that C.J. and the offense made last year," said Caley, who enters his second year as Houston's offensive coordinator. "We continued to get better from the start of the season to the end of the regular season and just continued to make progress from week to week. So we're going to continue to build on that. It's a new year. C.J. has done a great job out here. Looks good. Locked in." During the 2025 regular season, his third campaign with the Texans, Stroud -- who had his fifth-year contract option picked up in April -- threw for 3,041 yards with 19 TDs and eight picks in 14 games to go along with 48 carries for 209 yards and a rushing score. Looking ahead, he'll look to rebound from a forgettable four-interception outing in his team's divisional-round postseason exit last season, while working with a pass-catching corps that continues to feature WRs Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, along with TE Dalton Schultz. The Texans also traded for RB David Montgomery this offseason and added TEs Foster Moreau and Marlin Klein with the goal of establishing a more effective ground game to help balance out the team's offense, per Nick Shook of NFL.com.

Dalton Schultz

TE

That said, following the team's mandatory minicamp earlier this month, Koch suggests that at this stage a "fair order" after Schultz could go as follows: Foster Moreau, Brevin Jordan (knee) and Marlin Klein (hamstring). During the 2025 regular season, Schultz set career highs in catches (82) and targets (106) en route to logging 777 receiving yards and three TDs in 17 games. As a dependable chain-mover in Houston's offense for QB C.J. Stroud, Schultz -- who has played a full slate in each of the last two years -- will remain on the fantasy lineup radar in 2026.

Xavier Hutchinson

WR

Collins remains Houston's clear-cut top wideout, with Koch having noted last month that Higgins and Noel both logged frequent reps in the first-team offense on the outside and in the slot, respectively. Hutchinson's role in 2026 is thus TDB, with Dell's ongoing recovery from a knee injury a notable moving part in that regard. In 17 regular-season games in 2025, Hutchinson compiled a 35-428-3 line on 57 targets, but steady volume may not be in the cards for the 2023 sixth-rounder out of the gate this season unless injuries hit the Texans' WR corps.