Texans Enter Bills Clash Nearly Full Strength — What It Means for Montgomery
Houston's only injury concern is rookie Kayden McDonald, leaving the backfield of Montgomery and Woody Marks fully intact for a tough matchup with Buffalo.
Fully healthy in a game plan built on the run — RB2 with upside.
- Only injury concern: rookie Kayden McDonald (minor)
- Montgomery: 716 rush yds, 8 TD, 165 PPR pts in 2025
- Marks: 703 rush yds, 5 total TD, 145 PPR pts in 2025
- Montgomery ranks #27 at RB in our board
- Montgomery down 2.2 FPTS/G over his last 5 games
Here's the rare injury report that reads like good news: the Houston Texans are about as healthy as a team gets heading into their showdown with the Buffalo Bills. The lone name on the list is rookie Kayden McDonald, dealing with a minor issue — and even if he sits, Houston's depth at his spot means it barely registers on the fantasy radar.
For roster purposes, the headline is what's NOT on that report. David Montgomery and Woody Marks are both good to go, and that matters because the Texans' entire game plan against Buffalo runs through the ground game. Montgomery, our RB27 (overall #99), posted 716 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns and 165 PPR points across 17 games last season (2025) — real production, not a projection.
Why the Run Game Is the Story
The angle here is opportunity. Houston wants to establish the run early and lean on it, and the Bills — for all their talent — have shown a tendency to surrender chunk plays, especially against the run. That's exactly the kind of soft spot that turns a two-back committee into a fantasy-relevant one on any given Sunday.
Montgomery is the goal-line hammer, which is what keeps his floor high even when yardage is scarce. His eight touchdowns last season (2025) did the heavy lifting for his 165 PPR points. The concern is trend: he's averaged 2.2 fantasy points below his season line over his last five games (2025), so the volume is there but the efficiency has cooled.
Marks is the more intriguing dice roll. As our RB29 (#113), he quietly turned 24 catches into 208 yards and three receiving scores last season (2025), finishing with 145 PPR points. In PPR formats, his pass-game role gives him a path to relevance even when Montgomery eats the early-down and short-yardage work.
The Fantasy Move
Start Montgomery with confidence — he's healthy, the script favors volume, and Buffalo's run defense is exploitable. Treat him as a solid RB2 rather than a league-winner given his recent dip. Marks is a flex-caliber flier in deeper PPR leagues; if you need a Hail Mary in a pinch, his receiving upside makes him a defensible plug-in. Everyone else in this backfield stays on the wire.
