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Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon got off to a great start for fantasy managers in 2024, scoring 26.80 PPR fantasy points in his first outing against the Indianapolis Colts. Mixon looked to be primed for a great season before it all came crashing down in Week 2.
Well, sort of. Mixon suffered a high-ankle sprain in his second game and showed that the NFL doesn't actually care about enforcing the hip-drop tackle ban, which is comforting for managers. The referee had a clear view of it but didn't throw a flag because... well there's no reason, it's just stupid.
Hopefully, the rule will start being enforced. Otherwise, fantasy managers may have to deal with more injuries caused by the tackle. Regardless, Joe Mixon didn't play in Week 3, and we'll dive into his injury update for fantasy football here.
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Joe Mixon's Latest Injury Update - September 24
Joe Mixon's injury has been described as "week-to-week". That's fantastic (not really) for fantasy managers because that means we know exactly when he'll return (just kidding) and can plan accordingly (there's nothing we can do other than hope we picked up backup RB Cam Akers).
The dreaded week to week tag on Joe Mixon is never what we want to hear. Akers is going to be more than a 1 week pump and dump. https://t.co/Jie77cIEv1 pic.twitter.com/bmW2CtmtR7
— Jesse Moeller (@JMoeller05) September 21, 2024
If there's anything fantasy managers love, it's an unclear return timeline. Being kept up in the air and having anxiety about whether your team will have one of its best players is an exhilarating feeling that keeps you coming back to play fantasy football again each year.
Joe Mixon Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Unfortunately for Mixon managers, high ankle sprains, while only taking a few weeks to recover from, typically lead to depressed production for the rest of the season. The ankle is massively important for the RB position, where sharp cuts, jukes, and starts/stops are the bread and butter of producing yards.
High ankle sprain are literally a killer for fantasy running backs.
Rest of season: 📉
20% decrease in fantasy points
2.6 fewer points per gameTypically a 4-6 week injury, NFL RB return on average in 3.6 weeks
Bookmark this for your fantasy football teams in 2022 pic.twitter.com/e1UJTqtB7e
— Adam Hutchison (@TheRealAdam_H) June 13, 2022
Joe Mixon Fantasy Football Outlook
Mixon had a bit of an outlier game in Week 1. He was afforded a ridiculous number of opportunities. 30 carries and three receptions isn't a sustainable workload, and he got it against one of the worst defenses in the league (so far). 26.80 PPR fantasy points is excellent, but it's unlikely that pace will continue throughout the season.
Mixon is a locked-in must-start whenever he returns to play, but it wouldn't be surprising if backups Cam Akers or Dameon Pierce got a bit more work to give Mixon a break. Mixon's touch rate in Week 1 is unsustainable season-long, and the injury could hamper him a bit more.
It would've been best to trade him after Week 1, but managers should still feel good about having him on their rosters.
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