Brenton Strange or Woody Marks: Who Should You Start?
Preliminary board2026 Week 3 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.
Strange’s locked-in role edges Marks’ softer matchup
Strange gets the nod because his starting role and heavy snap share provide a sturdier floor, even against New England’s difficult tight-end matchup. Marks has the friendlier opponent, but his near-even committee split and light receiving role make that advantage conditional; CBS Sports 2026-09-21 confirms the split remained intact last week. This is a narrow preference, not a recommendation to force either bench-tier option into lineups: Strange risks a low-volume passing day, while Marks needs added workload or a touchdown to overcome his role.
What flips it: A confirmed increase in Marks’ share of the Houston backfield.
Sources: CBS Sports · Sep 21, 2026
AI editor
Brenton Strange
4.66.37.9 Projected Points
Woody Marks
6.77.68.6 Projected Points
Brenton Strange’s market
Woody Marks’s market
Why Brenton Strange
SitStarting TE and ascending pass-catcher. Athletic seam target with adequate in-line blocking.
Sit — bench-tier TE at consensus TE19: NE is the 3rd-toughest matchup vs TEs, 10% target share.
- His ascending seam role gives him more dependable access to routes than Marks has to touches.
- The matchup limits Strange’s ceiling, but his role is less fragile than the projection gap suggests.
Why Woody Marks
SitRB2 behind David Montgomery. Between-the-tackles committee back who carried 196 times for 703 yards as a rookie with light pass-game usage.
Sit — bench-tier RB at consensus RB44: IND is the 5th-softest matchup vs RBs, 8% target share.
- Indianapolis offers the better runway if Houston expands his workload.
- Marks’ between-the-tackles profile can pay off if the Texans turn the game into a rushing script.
Latest on Marks
Woody Marks and David Montgomery split snaps almost evenly for a second straight week in Week 2, with Montgomery playing 42 snaps to Marks' 38 against the Bengals; Marks projects as an RB3/4 for Week 3 vs. the Colts.
CBS Sports · Sep 21, 2026Houston traded for a veteran back and John Harris explains how it'll make their second-year rusher even stronger.
Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | Brenton Strange | Woody Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 4.66.37.9 | 6.77.68.6 |
| Consensus rank | TE19 | RB44 |
| Opponent vs position | NE · 3 of 322-game sample | IND · 28 of 322-game sample |
| Receptions | 4 of 32 | 20 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 4 of 32 | 31 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 1 of 32 | — |
| Targets | 3 of 32 | — |
| Anytime TD | 1 of 32 | 25 of 32 |
| Rushing Yards | — | 31 of 32 |
| Rushing TDs | — | 29 of 32 |
| Rushing Attempts | — | 31 of 32 |
| Target share | 10% | 8% |
| Reception share | 11% | 11% |
| Implied total · spread | 23.5-1.5 | 23.5-1.5 |
| Depth chart | TE1 | RB2 |
| Snap share | 76% | 50% |
Recent form
Brenton Strange — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs DEN | 1.72.73.7 |
| Week 1 | vs CLE | 8.39.310.3 |
Woody Marks — last 2 weeks
| Week 2 | vs CIN | 3.56.08.5 |
| Week 1 | vs BUF | 4.04.55.0 |
Signal breakdown
- 7.9 vs 8.6 projected PPR pointsWoody Marks +
- Rank 19 vs 44Brenton Strange +
- Opponent DvP rank 3 vs 28 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 23.5 vs 23.5 team pointseven
- No injury designationseven
- 76% vs 50% snap shareBrenton Strange +
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