2 Texans training camp battles fantasy football managers must have their eye on

The Houston Texans are known for their elite defense. Houston just added Jadeveon Clowney to give themselves even more depth on that side of the ball. If Houston’s defense lives up to their potential, they should put CJ Stroud and the offense in a great position to succeed later this fall.

Houston’s offense struggled throughout much of the 2025 season, as most fantasy football managers will recall. Nico Collins was the only really good asset on the offense, but that could change in 2026. Especially if Houston’s new-look offensive line can keep Stroud clean throughout the season.

Fantasy football managers need to pay attention to these two important Texans training camp battles over the next few weeks.

Will Woody Marks split time with David Montgomery?

The Texans entered the offseason determined to add talent to their backfield.

Houston made the bold decision to acquire David Montgomery from Detroit at the start of the offseason. Montgomery was becoming the second fiddle to Jahmyr Gibbs and wanted an opportunity to prove himself as a starter once again. That’s exactly the opportunity he’ll receive in Houston.

At worst, Montgomery looks to be the primary running back in a tandem with Woody Marks. But given Montgomery’s versatility out of the backfield, he could be Houston’s legitimate workhouse running back.

If that is the case, where does it leave Marks from a fantasy perspective?

Marks was thrust into action as a rookie, and he made the most of those opportunities. He logged 196 carries for 703 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2025. That is on top of 24 receptions for 208 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air.

That is the kind of production that can get fantasy managers excited. Especially if that player is given more opportunities after their rookie season. Unfortunately, there’s no promise that those opportunities will materialize in 2026.

If there’s one area where Marks has the advantage, it is as a receiver. That alone could make Marks viable in PPR formats, assuming he carves out a role for himself.

Fantasy managers should keep an eye on who gets more reps on third downs during training camp. That could reveal whether or not Marks will be a relevant fantasy asset in 2026.

How will Tank Dell fit into Houston’s wide receiver depth chart in 2026?

Tank Dell is finally back in Houston.

Dell was cleared to participate in training camp on July 28th after suffering a gruesome knee injury back in 2024. He missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from multiple knee surgeries.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans certainly sounds excited to have Dell back at practice.

“Tank is on the right plan. Nothing’s changed in his plan. We’re progressing him on really well. We expect him to just continue to progress with how he’s feeling,” Ryans said on Wednesday. “There’s no set way of doing it. It’ll be based on how he’s feeling. We’ll do the right thing by Tank and make sure we approach it the right way. Take care of him the right way, so he can be feeling confident when he steps back out there for team drills.”

Dell’s return is certainly a feel good story. But is he still the kind of player who can have an impact on fantasy football in 2026?

If Dell can get back to how he was playing before his knee injury, absolutely. But that is a huge if.

Dell had fantasy relevance during his first two seasons in the league. He logged 98 receptions for 1,376 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 games played over that span. It can be easy to forget how high Dell’s upside was before his knee injury.

One big difference between then and now is the competition Dell faces in the wide receiver room.

Nico Collins is unquestionably the WR1 and Stroud’s primary target. Behind him are both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who each flashed potential during their rookie seasons. And don’t forget about Xavier Hutchinson, too.

Ultimately, it is clear that Dell will have some kind of impact on Houston’s offense in 2026. It is just unclear how big it will be.

Fantasy managers should keep Dell on their radar, but don’t invest too much hope in him too quickly.

Beyond that, it may be wise to be skeptical of all Houston pass catchers not named Nico Collins for the time being.

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