Texans at Jaguars Preview: Woody Marks Carries Houston to Wembley and Parker Washington Leads Jacksonville's Passing Game

The Jacksonville Jaguars never left London. A week after Cam Little's 57-yard field goal beat Philadelphia 19-17 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 4-1 Jaguars face the 1-4 Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network. Houston arrives off its first win of the season, a 26-3 rout of Tennessee, but without David Montgomery, who coach DeMeco Ryans called week-to-week with a groin injury.

It is the early window's only game, it carries real AFC South weight, and it is loaded with fantasy decisions: a new Texans lead back, a newly acquired receiver whose debut is uncertain, and a Jaguars passing game that has quietly reorganized around Parker Washington.

Where the two teams stand

Jacksonville is the clear AFC South leader. The Jaguars won in London last week on a final sequence that started with Jake Elliott putting Philadelphia ahead 17-16 with eight seconds left. Ameer Abdullah returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards, and Little hit from 57 as time expired. Trevor Lawrence threw for 331 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on 24-of-39 passing, per the Eagles' game recap.

Houston, meanwhile, finally got right. C.J. Stroud completed 26 of 34 passes for roughly 260 yards with no interceptions and accounted for two touchdowns against the Titans, and the defense held Tennessee to 187 total yards with four sacks. Will Anderson Jr. had three of them.

The injury report matters on both sides. Jacksonville placed left tackle Anton Harrison on injured reserve on Monday; he is set for knee surgery when the team returns home, and Walker Little is expected to start in his place. The Jaguars also signed long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer with Ross Matiscik unlikely to play. Houston lists safety Jalen Pitre (shoulder) as week-to-week, and Tank Dell remains on injured reserve.

Houston's offense: Woody Marks and a new receiver

With Montgomery out, Woody Marks is the Texans' back. He played 56 of 65 snaps against Tennessee and turned 19 touches into 85 scrimmage yards (15 carries for 62 yards, four catches for 23), both season highs. Ryans said Marks will carry the load while Montgomery is out. That is a volume-based RB2 profile, and the pass-catching role gives him a floor even if Jacksonville controls the game.

The receiver room just changed. Marvin Harrison Jr.'s trade from Arizona became official on Monday after he passed his physical, with the Cardinals receiving 2027 second- and seventh-round picks for Harrison and a 2027 sixth. Whether he makes the trip to London and how much he plays is not settled. The most likely outcome, per reporting after the trade, is a limited package of plays if he is active, with a bigger role building over the following weeks.

Nico Collins remains the primary target. He caught five of seven targets for 56 yards against Tennessee after missing Weeks 2 and 3 with a hamstring injury, and he scored three touchdowns in his first two games. Houston has also lost Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL, which is part of why it went shopping for Harrison.

Jacksonville's offense: Washington up, Thomas down

The most important fantasy development in Jacksonville is who is catching the ball. Parker Washington posted six catches for 124 yards against Philadelphia, including the fourth-down touchdown that put the Jaguars ahead late. Brian Thomas Jr., by contrast, caught none of his three targets and has seen just six combined targets over his last three games, with his route share dipping well below a full-time role in two of them.

On the ground, Bhayshul Tuten is the lead back. He handled 24 touches for 96 yards against the Eagles (22 carries for 72 yards and two catches for 24) after back-to-back games of at least 17 touches and 90 scrimmage yards in Weeks 3 and 4. Chris Rodriguez still mixes in, which caps Tuten's touchdown equity somewhat, but the workload is clear.

The concern for Lawrence is protection. Losing Harrison at left tackle against a Houston front that just produced four sacks, three by Anderson, is the matchup that could swing this game.

Start/sit for the London game

The two backs are the safest plays in the game because their roles are the least ambiguous. Washington is the upside play. Thomas is a sit until his routes recover, which is a hard call to make on a player with his pedigree, but the usage leaves no other conclusion.

Betting angle

The market has Jacksonville as a short favorite: books range from Jaguars -2.5 to -3, with the moneyline around Jaguars -148 and Texans +124. The total sits at 42.5 at most shops, with some at 43.5. A field goal is the key number, so a bettor who likes Houston should shop for +3, and a Jacksonville bettor should look for -2.5.

The case for Houston is matchup-specific: an elite pass rush against a reshuffled left side, and an offense that just showed it can sustain drives with Marks and Stroud protecting the ball. The case for Jacksonville is that it has been the better team all season, it has already acclimated to London and its passing game has found a new top option in Washington. A one-score total in the low 40s also fits two defenses that are playing well, which makes the under the side that lines up with the matchup read rather than either team's name.

The Verdexed angle

This is the kind of game where the fantasy and betting reads point the same way. If the Texans' pass rush wins, Houston keeps it close, Marks gets 20-plus touches, and the under is in good shape. If Walker Little holds up, Lawrence and Washington have a ceiling week. Verdexed's game-by-game probabilities for the full Week 6 slate live at /nfl/predictions, and the model's call on all 14 games is in the weekly picks piece at /blog/nfl-week-6-picks-2026.

For season-long managers, the actionable point is simple: Marks and Tuten are starts, Washington belongs in lineups over Thomas, and Harrison stays on benches until his role is visible.

What's next

Watch Wednesday through Friday practice reports for Montgomery (any return would turn Marks into a committee back), Harrison's travel and participation, and how the Jaguars handle the left tackle spot. Jacksonville has its bye in Week 7, so this is the last chance to play Jaguars before managers must plan around them. A Jaguars win would push them to 5-1 and leave Houston four games back in the division after six weeks.