The Houston Texans are now six weeks deep into their 2026 campaign, and have had several players around the roster see their stock shift both up and down since the start of the season.
Heading into Week 7 against the New York Giants, the Texans as a whole are certainly trending up from where they stood this time two weeks ago. At 0-4, it felt like the sky was falling in Houston.
However, a few standout playmakers from the past two weeks have been able to flip the script for a much-better-looking pair of performances for Houston to claim back-to-back wins. In the case of a few others, their struggles have lingered in one way or another, and their standing on this roster moving forward tends to look a bit different because of it.
With all of that in mind, let's sort through a batch of four players whose stock is on the rise heading into Week 7, along with four others who are on the opposite side of the equation:
Who's Rising
QB C.J. Stroud
Even if the wins haven't been flowing from start to finish of the Texans' first six weeks, things have looked extremely stout on C.J. Stroud's part, who's come out of the gates playing some of the best football of his NFL career thus far.
Through six games, Stroud is averaging his highest passing yards (285.7), completion percentage (65.3%), TD-to-INT ratio (9-1), and passer rating (100.9) since being drafted back in 2023.
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
If there were a team MVP award to hand out at the six-week mark of the season, Will Anderson's certainly made a great case for himself as the current frontrunner for DPOY. Still, I might lean towards Stroud being the more deserving recipient.
RB Woody Marks
The Texans have been without their lead running back, David Montgomery, for the past game and a half due to a groin injury he suffered in Week 5. But as Montgomery has stepped aside, Woody Marks has finally begun to deliver for this struggling Houston run game.
The Texans nearly put up their highest rushing total on the season against Jacksonville with 114 total yards on the ground, largely thanks to the impact that Marks provided as an explosive playmaker in the backfield. Expect to see him continuously featured on the offensive end moving forward, with or without Montgomery in the mix.
WR Jaylin Noel
It's become pretty hard to ignore Jaylin Noel's production over the past three weeks. Even if Noel hasn't exactly found his way to securing a super high volume of offensive snaps, he's made the most of the opportunities he's had, combining for 12 receptions, 233 yards, and a touchdown––coming in Houston's latest game against the Jaguars in London.
Seeing Noel's stock rise even further in the weeks ahead could be a lot easier said than done, knowing guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Tank Dell will only continue to get more involved in the passing game. But if Noel continues making plays as he has been, it'll be really tough for the Texans to keep him off the field.
S Calen Bullock
The Texans' ball-hawking safety has had a pretty quiet start to the season thus far, having recorded zero turnovers through the first five weeks of action. But in Week 6, Bullock finally saw those turnover numbers shift in his direction as he found his way to a Trevor Lawrence interception against Jacksonville in Week 6.
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
Considering the Texans' turnover numbers through this point in the season have looked pretty bleak, it'd be a massive boost for the defense if Bullock can continue having a nose for the football moving forward.
Who's Falling
RB David Montgomery
Montgomery has been dealing with an injury over the past couple of weeks, which isn't exactly his fault. However, it's hard to look away from the fact that Houston's run game looked a whole lot better against the Jaguars than it has since Week 1, which came in a game in which Montgomery wasn't suited up for.
He's been inefficient, ineffective, and is due to see some snaps taken away from him in the weeks ahead if his individual production can't turn around. Otherwise, Woody Marks could be the leader in this backfield in no time.
TE Marlin Klein
It's been a rocky start to Marlin Klein's rookie season. Over the first three weeks of the year, Klein had totaled just 22 combined offensive snaps, turning those in for just one reception taken for 16 yards. Since Week 4, he's been a healthy scratch, as the coaching staff has been looking for him to be a better impact player on special teams.
For a player that was selected as high as Klein was in this past offseason's draft, you'd expect him to be a bit more involved at this point in the season. Six weeks in, though, and we have no sign on when he'll be elevated to the gameday roster, let alone being an impact player offensively.
LB Jake Hansen
For the time that Henry To'oTo'o was on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury, it was Jake Hansen who stepped up as someone who could play and start alongside Azeez Al-Shaair at linebacker–– or in the case of Week 4, alongside practice squad elevation Kenneth Murray–– and he held things down pretty serviceably.
But now that To'oTo'o is back to full health, and Al-Shaair is trending towards playing in Week 7 after another groin injury scare this past weekend, it'll be much harder for Hansen to have a consistent role on defense.
S Reed Blankenship
It's been an up-and-down start to the season for Reed Blankenship, who was brought into Houston to provide stability at the safety position, but has been anything but that over the first six weeks he's played.
He's clearly struggled adjusting to the Texans' defensive scheme, has allowed multiple big play opportunities, and is now dealing with a concussion that could sideline him for Week 7 against the New York Giants. If M.J. Stewart can enter the starting lineup and hold things down more effectively, the conversations will get a bit more interesting after the bye.
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