Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon suffered an ankle injury back in Week 2, which ultimately caused him to miss the last two games. After sitting out the Texans’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and loss against the Minnesota Vikings, will Mixon return to the starting lineup in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills? Here’s the latest on Mixon’s status.
The Latest on Joe Mixon’s Injury
It’s very possible that Mixon will be back this week against Buffalo.
When Mixon was ruled out for Sunday’s contest against the Jaguars, NFL insider Jordan Schultz noted that the veteran running back had been feeling better and that everyone involved “agreed to take the safe route and give him another week” of rest.
Source: #Texans RB Mixon will be OUT today vs the #Jaguars due to his ankle injury. Mixon tested it this morning, and while he's feeling better, everyone agreed to take the safe route and give him another week. pic.twitter.com/o0UslcgU6J
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 29, 2024
It sounds like Mixon could have played had this been a playoff game, but the Texans were being cautious with the 28-year-old running back.
Still, it’s worth noting that Mixon didn’t practice on Wednesday, so you’ll need to monitor whether he gets in a practice on Thursday and Friday (and check his injury designation heading into Sunday’s game).
The hope is that Mixon will be back in the Texans’ starting lineup this weekend against the Bills, but the fact that he continues to miss practice is a bit of a red flag.
If he’s able to play, it would be a huge boost for Houston’s offense. The Texans ran for 213 yards in their season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts, but they’ve run for just 214 yards in the three games since, so they are clearly missing Mixon.
Mixon initially suffered this injury during Week 2 when the Texans were facing the Chicago Bears on “Sunday Night Football.”
Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards brought him down using a hip-drop tackle, causing Mixon’s right leg to be rolled up. Edwards was later fined $16,833 for the hit.
Fantasy Outlook for Mixon and Akers
All signs point to Mixon returning after consecutive DNPs (ankle), and I don’t think Cam Akers did enough in his stead (23 touches for 77 yards) to give us any worries about a committee.
Mixon was the second-highest-scoring running back in Week 1, and while replicating that success is unlikely, this Bills defense was just embarrassed by Derrick Henry.
Keep an eye on the practice reports to confirm his status, but assuming there’s nothing in the way of setbacks, you can feel good about penciling in 14-16 carries and 3-5 targets.
As for Akers, he was not a top-25 running back in either of his opportunities as the starter. If he were to be penciled in as the go-to option this week, he’d be a viable Flex play for me, but nothing more (he caught just one pass across those two games).