While the chances of Houston Texans‘ running back Joe Mixon playing this week were better than a week ago, when he sat out with an ankle injury, he has still been ruled out
That leaves the door open for fantasy football managers to perhaps pluck one of the other Texans running backs off the waiver wire, like Cam Akers or Dare Ogunbowale.
Here is the fantasy outlook for all three Texans running backs entering Week 4.
Should You Start Joe Mixon, Cam Akers, or Dare Ogunbowale This Week?
Prior to being ruled out, Mixon was the option with the highest ceiling, but now he is ruled out, the outlook for this backfield has shifted considerably.
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Akers is the player to start. His projected 9.9 points include 38.2 rushing yards, 2.6 receptions, and 13.4 receiving yards.
That stat line outperforms the consensus for Ogunbowale (4.9 fantasy points, 14 rushing yards, two receptions, and 11 receiving yards).
Akers’ Week 4 Fantasy Outlook
Akers is coming off a decent effort in Week 3 versus the Minnesota Vikings. Although his overall numbers weren’t anything special — 21 rushing yards on nine carries — Akers did have an eight-yard touchdown reception and finished with 9.9 fantasy points.
Looks like it’ll be Cam Akers once again, I think he’ll be able to make plays against the Jags… pic.twitter.com/juGRySh49r
— Nick Schwager (@NickSchwagerNFL) September 26, 2024
Last week was actually the most prolific fantasy scoring week for Akers since Week 18 of the 2022 season, which was his final game with the Los Angeles Rams.
While that does demonstrate just how far Akers’ career has fallen. With Mixon unable to go, he is probably the best option for fantasy managers among Texans’ running backs.
Ogunbowale’s Week 4 Fantasy Outlook
The most positive thing you can say about Ogunbowale’s season is that he is improving his fantasy value, albeit ever so slightly. His fantasy scoring has gone up from 1.3 points in Week 1 to 4.3 points in Week 2 to 4.8 points last week.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
However, Ogunbowale only had two touches last week, both receptions for 28 total receiving yards. So, despite an incline in production, expecting anything more than what he has produced so far this season is probably a stretch for fantasy managers.
Even if Mixon cannot go Sunday, there really isn’t a reason for fantasy managers to go with Ogunbowale over Akers among the Houston running backs.
Mixon’s Week 4 Fantasy Outlook
Update: This analysis was written before Mixon was ruled out for Week 4.
After getting off to such a great start to his Texans career — 159 rush yards, one touchdown, and 26.9 fantasy points in Week 1 — Mixon has been battling an ankle injury suffered in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears.
He missed last week and is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The good news for fantasy managers is Mixon returned to practice on Friday after missing the previous two practice days, adding some optimism over his playing status for this week.
A healthy Mixon certainly brings a lot more to the table than the other two. In terms of fantasy points, Mixon also had his best game of the 2023 season against the Jaguars, with two touchdowns and 29.7 fantasy points.