Add Allen first. Marks is the other back worth your last move.

If you need a running back for this afternoon, this is where to spend the last roster move. Hall is inactive against Miami. Montgomery is inactive against the Giants. Two backfields have a clear opening, and neither asks you to wait until Monday to find out whether the starter plays.

Allen first if both are on the wire

Allen gets our first check because we have already seen him handle Hall's absence. The Jets are missing Parham too, so the line is not at full strength, but the route to touches is easy to see. He belongs in a thin starting backfield or a flex slot that was otherwise going to a fringe receiver.

That is the price we would pay: a useful start. Don't trade a permanent starter for him just because the Sunday deadline makes the need feel permanent. Hall's next clearance could change the backfield quickly.

Marks is the better pickup than another maybe

Marks has the Houston opening now. Jordan can still be involved, but Montgomery's absence removes the biggest immediate obstacle. If the alternative is carrying a reserve whose work depends on a Monday scratch, take the player whose path is already open.

If your opponent needs a running back and you have a disposable bench slot, either back is a sensible defensive pickup as well. Drop an expendable piece to do it; don't cut a valuable young player just to win an hour of roster gamesmanship.

Dell is a stash, not the emergency answer

Tank Dell is returning against the Giants. That's a welcome development, but Houston has a crowded receiver room. Jaylin Noel has already forced his way into the conversation, and Dell's first game back is not the spot to assume the old pecking order has returned intact. Stash Dell if you have the room; prefer a receiver with established current work if you need points immediately.

Make the move while it still counts

These are early Sunday pickups. Don't put them behind an elaborate claim on someone whose game has already started. Our final starting choices put Marks ahead of Pierce, while the inactive sheet has the confirmed absences. Once the lineup is set, let the game happen.