Texans vs. Jaguars DFS Picks: DraftKings London Showdown, October 18, 2026

Houston’s new-look offense makes this a much more interesting London slate than the 42.5-point total suggests. David Montgomery is out, Houston’s backfield workload remains unsettled, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is set to make his Texans debut. Jacksonville brings the more settled offense, but its protection has to survive Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

Our preferred starting points are Nico Collins at Captain, Brenton Strange as the midrange receiver to build around, and Josh Cameron as the inexpensive player who makes the rest fit. Marks belongs in the conversation because of the vacancy in Houston’s backfield. He is not an automatic Captain against this run defense.

Kickoff is Sunday, October 18, at 9:30 a.m. ET at Wembley Stadium. The salaries below are for the DraftKings single-game contest. Official game information

What changes the slate

The Texans have ruled out Montgomery, Tank Dell and safety Jalen Pitre. Harrison’s availability is separate: DeMeco Ryans has confirmed that the newly acquired receiver will play. Those are meaningful changes on both sides of the ball, but playing does not establish Harrison’s route count in a new offense. Houston travel update, Ryans on Harrison’s debut

Jacksonville placed left tackle Anton Harrison on injured reserve and will start Walker Little. That creates a protection question rather than a reason to dismiss the entire offense: Little has 39 career starts, including 31 at left tackle. We expect the Jaguars to value getting the ball out on schedule, which makes Strange and the established receivers more appealing than a lineup that needs repeated long-developing shots. Jaguars Thursday report

Sunday final availability: Houston’s inactive list includes Montgomery, Pitre and tackle Braden Smith. Jacksonville confirmed Montaric Brown, Ross Matiscik and Jaylon Jones inactive, while explicitly listing Eric Murray active. These rulings do not establish anyone’s workload. Texans inactives, Jaguars inactives

Captain picks

Player	Captain	FLEX	Best use
Nico Collins	$16,800	$11,200	Houston passing ceiling
Parker Washington	$15,600	$10,400	Jacksonville receiving ceiling
Brenton Strange	$8,700	$5,800	Balanced construction with room for stars
Bhayshul Tuten	$12,900	$8,600	Jacksonville controls the game
C.J. Stroud	$14,400	$9,600	Houston spreads passing production around

Nico Collins: our first receiving Captain

Collins has produced 19 catches, 249 yards and three touchdowns in his three appearances. His two games since returning have been very different: seven catches for 118 yards and two scores against Dallas, then five for 56 against Tennessee. The first shows the ceiling we want at Captain; the second is a useful reminder that an efficient Houston win does not necessarily produce a slate-breaking receiving score. Texans player log

Jacksonville’s run defense can push Houston toward the pass, while Harrison’s arrival gives the defense another receiver to account for. We should not assume the new arrival automatically helps Collins, though: he can also take targets. Collins is the stronger bet on an established connection; Harrison is the bet on a new role arriving faster than expected.

Pair Collins Captain with Stroud in the majority of those builds. A big receiving game gives Stroud production too, and we do not need to guess which secondary Houston receiver also scores. Strange is our preferred Jacksonville bring-back when Washington’s salary makes the rest of the lineup too thin.

Parker Washington: ceiling with a real price attached

Washington just caught six passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns against Philadelphia. His preceding two games totaled four catches for 47 yards, so we are paying for a ceiling rather than buying a weekly guarantee. At $15,600, his Captain salary is only $1,200 below Collins. Jaguars player log

Houston losing Pitre matters to its defensive flexibility, but we should not manufacture a guaranteed one-on-one matchup from that absence. Washington’s case rests on his ability to turn a normal reception into an explosive play and his established place in Jacksonville’s scoring offense. Use Lawrence with him, then decide whether the Houston response comes through Collins or Marks. Trying to squeeze all four premium players into the same build leaves too much dependent on the bottom of the salary pool.

Brenton Strange: the Captain who changes the lineup

Strange has seven catches in each of his last two games, for 95 and 68 yards. At $8,700 Captain, he saves $6,900 relative to Washington and $8,100 relative to Collins. That is enough to upgrade multiple FLEX spots without asking an inactive or almost-unused player to rescue the lineup. Jaguars player log

Our football case is the shorter passing game. If Jacksonville protects Lawrence with quick decisions and underneath completions, Strange can accumulate catches even without a high-scoring game. The risk is that he is asked to help the tackles more often, or that Washington supplies the touchdowns. This is a receiving-volume construction, not a claim that every pressure situation benefits a tight end.

Bhayshul Tuten: the Jacksonville-control option

Tuten’s carries have climbed from 15 to 17 to 22 over the last three weeks. He has caught two passes in each of the last four. That gives him more ways to contribute than a touchdown-only runner, although Houston’s front is a much harder assignment than the extra volume alone suggests. Jaguars player log

We like Tuten Captain most in a build where Jacksonville avoids obvious passing downs, plays from ahead and finishes drives on the ground. Pairing him with the Jaguars defense is coherent in that version of the game. We would not simultaneously load that lineup with three Jacksonville pass-catchers and expect every part of the offense to hit its ceiling.

C.J. Stroud: when the touchdowns are distributed

Stroud is $400 cheaper than Lawrence in FLEX and $600 cheaper at Captain. Jacksonville defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile highlighted his decisive play and quick release, and Stroud enters with six passing touchdowns and no interceptions. Jaguars Thursday observations

The Stroud-Captain route works if Collins, Harrison and another receiver share the production rather than one pass-catcher dominating. Collins plus one additional Houston receiver is enough; a full collection of Texans receivers makes the build dependent on an unusually concentrated passing game.

FLEX priorities and salary decisions

Woody Marks — $8,400

Marks handled 15 carries and caught four passes against Tennessee, producing 85 combined yards. Montgomery’s absence removes a major competitor for work. The receptions are particularly important here because Houston may need them if Jacksonville squeezes the running game. Texans player log

Sunday, October 18 roster check: Houston elevated Jawhar Jordan for Week 6, and he is not among the seven names on its published inactive list. His workload and availability in your DraftKings contest still need checking. Do not assume Montgomery’s vacated work is split only between Marks and Dare Ogunbowale. Do not roster Marlin Klein, who is on Houston’s inactive list. Official Texans transactions, Final Texans inactives

This is a workload argument, not an efficiency free pass. Jacksonville leads the league in rushing yards allowed and has repeatedly forced opponents away from the ground game. Marks remains a conditional FLEX option while the division of work is unresolved; at $8,400 he is already priced as an important player. We prefer him to a speculative bargain back; we do not need to play him in every Collins–Stroud lineup. Jaguars run-defense report

Trevor Lawrence — $10,000

Lawrence makes the most sense alongside a Jacksonville receiving Captain. Washington and Strange have both demonstrated usable receiving volume, and Lawrence captures their passing touchdowns without requiring us to select the one receiver who scores twice. The tackle situation is the main reason we prefer him in a correlated build rather than treating both quarterbacks as automatic roster spots.

Marvin Harrison Jr. — $6,600

Harrison is an appealing tournament alternative, but the price demands more than simply being active. We would rather use him in a Stroud-centered lineup than as a stand-alone must-play. His prior relationship with Stroud is relevant to timing and familiarity; it does not tell us how many formations, routes or snaps Houston will give him after a short preparation week.

A modest receiving-yard prop can be attractive while the DFS salary remains risky. Two catches may clear a small betting threshold without making a $6,600 receiver a good Showdown score. That distinction keeps us from letting the reunion story do all the work.

Josh Cameron — $2,200

Cameron has followed a two-catch, 42-yard game with three catches for 43 yards. Those are modest totals, but they are meaningful at this salary. He also has two receiving touchdowns this season. We prefer that demonstrated involvement to a minimum-priced player whose role requires several things to go wrong first. Jaguars player log

Cameron is still a limited-volume receiver. His job in our lineup is to make a stronger Captain and FLEX combination possible, not to be treated as another full-time star. He fits Lawrence stacks and can be the second Jacksonville receiver in a Houston-led build.

Dalton Schultz — $4,800; Jakobi Meyers — $7,000

Schultz saves $1,000 from Strange, but his recent production is weaker: eight catches for 69 yards across the last three games. The 12-catch, 140-yard Week 2 performance should not be mistaken for his current weekly role. He is a lower-cost Stroud attachment, with Harrison’s arrival adding another source of target competition. Texans player log

Meyers has five catches for 70 yards over the last two weeks. We can use him as an alternative to Washington in a Lawrence build, but Strange’s lower salary and recent volume make him our preferred midrange Jacksonville receiver. Jaguars player log

Kickers and defenses

Cam Little costs $5,400, Ka’imi Fairbairn $5,000, the Jaguars defense $4,600 and the Texans defense $4,400. These are sensible alternatives to forcing a thin receiver into every remaining spot in a game carrying a 42.5 total. FanDuel game market

The Texans defense is the more direct bet on the pass rush disrupting Jacksonville’s replacement tackle. The Jaguars defense fits a Houston offense struggling to establish the run and becoming predictable. Neither requires us to predict a defensive touchdown. A kicker is the cleaner choice when our lineup expects sustained drives that stall rather than sacks and turnovers.

Players we are not forcing

Brian Thomas Jr. is only $4,000, but the name is more exciting than the recent production: three catches for 25 yards across the last three games, including no catches against Philadelphia. He is a rebound tournament option, not the foundation of a value build. Jaguars player log

Chris Rodriguez Jr. costs $3,600. He has scored twice this season, but last week brought two carries and one catch while Tuten handled 22 carries. A touchdown can make Rodriguez useful; a cheap salary does not establish a dependable touch floor. Jaguars player log

Harrison’s arrival also makes Houston’s secondary receiver rotation harder to project. We would rather select one of those players around a clear game script than spread exposure indiscriminately across Xavier Hutchinson, Kayshon Boutte and Jaylin Noel.

Early projected ownership

Early, low-confidence CTS estimates, October 16 at 10:03 a.m. ET. The table covers 27 listed players; other salary-listed players are not forecast here. Montgomery and Dell are out, while Harrison is expected to play with an uncertain debut workload. These figures predate Jawhar Jordan’s October 17 elevation and have not been refreshed for it. Treat Houston’s backfield ownership figures as historical estimates rather than current guidance while final active status and roles remain unconfirmed.

Player	Team	FLEX salary	Captain ownership	FLEX ownership
Nico Collins	HOU	$11,200	24.8%	30.4%
C.J. Stroud	HOU	$9,600	10.9%	42.0%
Trevor Lawrence	JAX	$10,000	11.9%	39.7%
Parker Washington	JAX	$10,400	16.9%	29.8%
Woody Marks	HOU	$8,400	9.9%	32.2%
Bhayshul Tuten	JAX	$8,600	10.9%	29.3%
Brenton Strange	JAX	$5,800	3.5%	35.5%
Jakobi Meyers	JAX	$7,000	3.0%	27.0%
Ka’imi Fairbairn	HOU	$5,000	0.6%	27.0%
Cam Little	JAX	$5,400	0.6%	26.0%
Brian Thomas Jr.	JAX	$4,000	1.1%	25.4%
Dalton Schultz	HOU	$4,800	1.0%	25.2%
Marvin Harrison Jr.	HOU	$6,600	2.5%	23.5%
Jaguars	JAX	$4,600	0.5%	19.4%
Texans	HOU	$4,400	0.4%	16.9%
Xavier Hutchinson	HOU	$4,200	0.3%	14.9%
Chris Rodriguez Jr.	JAX	$3,600	0.3%	10.9%
Kayshon Boutte	HOU	$3,400	0.2%	10.7%
Josh Cameron	JAX	$2,200	0.2%	9.4%
Jaylin Noel	HOU	$3,000	0.2%	8.7%
Dare Ogunbowale	HOU	$2,000	0.1%	6.5%
Foster Moreau	HOU	$1,600	0.1%	4.6%
Travis Hunter	JAX	$1,000	0.1%	2.2%
Cade Stover	HOU	$600	0.0%	1.1%
Marlin Klein	HOU	$200	0.0%	0.7%
Ameer Abdullah	JAX	$1,400	0.0%	0.5%
LeQuint Allen Jr.	JAX	$400	0.0%	0.5%

Percentages are rounded.

Nico and Washington are our leading receiving Captain choices and also draw the most Captain interest in this forecast. Strange at 3.5% Captain is a different construction, but his receiving score still has to beat those more expensive stars. Harrison’s debut role is the largest swing factor among the mid-priced receivers; a larger package would change the appeal of Houston’s secondary options. Stover’s small estimate does not change our decision to pass on him without a clearer role.

Four starting combinations

These are three-player cores, leaving three FLEX positions open. The Marks core is conditional on final availability and credible workload information; Jordan’s elevation does not establish the division of Houston’s backfield work.

Construction	Core salary	Remaining salary
Collins CPT + Stroud + Strange	$32,200	$17,800
Washington CPT + Lawrence + Marks	$34,000	$16,000
Strange CPT + Lawrence + Collins	$29,900	$20,100
Tuten CPT + Jaguars DST + Collins	$28,700	$21,300

Our first build starts with Collins–Stroud and Strange coming back. Our favorite way to change the roster is Strange at Captain, which keeps access to the expensive players without depending on multiple punts. If we are betting on Jacksonville controlling the afternoon, Tuten with its defense tells that story more clearly than an expensive four-receiver build.