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Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon smashed in his first game of the 2024 season, scoring 26.8 PPR fantasy points. Mixon was the unquestioned workhorse of the Texans' offense, handling a ridiculous 33 touches, yet still managed to be efficient with 5.3 yards per carry.
Mixon is locked into the RB1 role and the Texans aren't afraid to use him as a bell cow. This is not a surprise, as fellow RBs Dameon Pierce and Cam Akers aren't anywhere near as talented as Mixon. Mixon has a great blend of power, speed and change of direction ability.
Unfortunately for his fantasy managers, Mixon was injured in Week 2. He picked up a high-ankle sprain in the game against the Chicago Bears. Will Mixon play in Week 4? Let's dive in.
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Is Joe Mixon Playing in Week 4?
It's not clear yet whether Mixon will play. Fantasy managers will have to wait until game time, where Mixon will be listed as inactive if he won't play. Sources seem to be divided on whether Mixon will play. ESPN fantasy lists his projection at 0.0 points while Sleeper has him projected to score 13.20.
Joe Mixon #texans
Not looking like he will play.
While on average RBs see no hit in fantasy stats after a high ankle, we can tell from practice reports (DNP/DNP/LP) that if he does play this week he won’t be at full, and will almost definitely see a reduced role 👇🏻
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) September 28, 2024
The good news is that he returned to practice on Friday in a limited capacity. You can't glean much from the video. Mixon isn't making sharp cuts, he's just jogging, and it's much easier to jog than it is to put 800+ pounds of force through your legs on a sprained ankle when cutting.
BREAKING Joe Mixon is practicing. #Htownmade pic.twitter.com/Xb6n5LQyT7
— Landry Locker (@LandryLocker) September 27, 2024
Fantasy managers will need to stay updated up until game time about Mixon's status. A decision may not be made until 90 minutes until kickoff, the deadline for all players to be declared active or inactive for NFL teams.
Joe Mixon Week 4 Fantasy Football Outlook
Mixon is a start if he plays, but considering he didn't practice Wednesday and Thursday and had only a limited practice Friday, it's likely that he'll be limited in the game if he plays. He's a good threat to score touchdowns and will probably be the goal line back even if he's not 100%.
That being said, depending on how limited he is, the backfield could turn into a nasty committee. If Pierce plays, it could be some weird three-way committee between Mixon, Pierce and Akers, else it will be a Mixon/Akers split.
It wouldn't make a ton of sense to bench Mixon considering where he was drafted in most leagues, and Akers doesn't have much value in a committee with Mixon. The Texans' Week 4 opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, have a terrible defense, and there should be plenty of running room for whichever backs take the field.
Start Mixon if he takes the field on Sunday.
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