Mixon was traded from Cincinnati to Houston this offseason, and he will be the starter for the Texans in 2024. Mixon should be considered a high-end No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 3. Ending up in Houston was a great landing spot for Mixon, who has averaged at least 15.7 PPR points per game in each of the past four seasons. The Texans offense should be explosive with C.J. Stroud at quarterback, and Houston has an above-average offensive line. Mixon should have the chance to score double-digit touchdowns (he's averaged 13 total touchdowns a year for the past three seasons), and he should be a factor in the passing game (he has 112 receptions in the past two seasons). He also has little competition for touches, which is ideal. While he's getting older at 27, Mixon should have the chance for a big season with his new team in 2024.
Fantasy Stats
rushing
receiving
fantasy
Year
yds
Rushing Yards
avg
Average Yards per Rush
td
Rushing Touchdowns
fl
Fumbles Lost
rec
Receptions
yds
Receiving Yards
td
Receiving Touchdowns
fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
2024
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2023
1034
4.02
9
—
52
376
3
197
11.6
2022
814
3.88
7
—
60
441
2
169
12.1
3y Avg.
1018
4.02
10
0
51
377
3
202
12.6
Fantasy News
Texans' Joe Mixon: Not slated to play Saturday
Rotowire
Mixon is among the Texans' key players not in line to see action in Saturday's preseason finale against the Rams, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Per Wilson, the same applies to QB C.J. Stroud, RBs Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale as well as WRs Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods. Come Week 1, Mixon is slated to lead the Texans' backfield against the Colts.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: No limitations in practice
Rotowire
Mixon is taking part in team drills Wednesday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans changed his mind last week after suggesting Mixon would play in this past Saturday's preseason win over the Giants, but the Texans were seemingly exercising caution with the running back. Mixon returned to practice Aug. 11 after missing the first two and a half weeks of training camp with a quadricep injury and has seemingly steered clear of any setbacks. Meanwhile, backup running back Dameon Pierce has done nothing to alleviate concerns about his fit in a zone-blocking scheme, taking eight carries for nine yards in two preseason games.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Not in uniform
Rotowire
Mixon isn't in uniform for Saturday's preseason game against the Giants, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
It sounds like coach DeMeco Ryans had a change of heart after saying Thursday that Mixon would play. Mixon missed the first two and a half weeks of training camp with a quad injury, but he returned to practice last weekend and still has three weeks to prepare for the start of the regular season. His absence Saturday leaves Dameon Pierce as the probable starter at RB.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Expected to play Saturday
Rotowire
Coach DeMeco Ryans said Thursday that the Texans' starters, including Mixon, will play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Giants, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Mixon is over the hamstring injury that caused him to miss the Texans' first two exhibition contests, but he returned to practice last weekend and is ready to play a few snaps. It will be Mixon's first action since he was acquired from the Bengals back in March.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Back at practice
Rotowire
Mixon (quad) was an active participant at the Texans' practice Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon has been sidelined with a quadriceps injury for the last couple weeks, but he now appears to have moved past the injury. The running back was forced to miss Houston's preseason opener versus the Steelers on Friday, and it's unclear if he'll make an appearance at any point prior to the team's first game of the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 8 against the Colts. Mixon is entering his first campaign with the Texans and all set to be their primary option out of the backfield in 2024.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Preseason debut on hold
Rotowire
Mixon (quad) is not in line to play in Friday's preseason game against the Steelers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
On the plus side, the report notes that Mixon is close to a return to action, but the Texans have no reason to rush the running back into exhibition play, with two more preseason contests on tap after Friday. In the meantime, reserves like Dare Ogunbowale, Jawhar Jordan, Cam Akers, J.J. Taylor and British Brooks should continue to receive opportunities to state their cases for slotting behind Mixon and Dameon Pierce.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Making progress in recovery
Rotowire
Mixon is making steady progress in his recovery from a minor quadricep injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon has been dealing with a soft-tissue injury early in training camp and he's already been ruled out for the preseason opener Thursday versus the Bears. The running back is on track to resume practicing at some point during the preseason as he ramps up his activity ahead of his first season with the Texans. Mixon should get the lion's share of the workload out of Houston's backfield, setting him up for another productive fantasy campaign in 2024.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Not playing Thursday
Rotowire
Mixon (hamstring) will not play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Bears, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports.
Even had Mixon not been dealing with a hamstring injury, it's unlikely he would have played Thursday. The Texans are expected to give Dameon Pierce and Jawhar Jordan extensive action in the backfield.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Misses practice again
Rotowire
Mixon (hamstring) didn't practice Monday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Mixon was healthy at the start of training camp but has now missed more than a week of practice, allowing Dameon Pierce to get regular work with the first-team offense. There are still questions about Pierce's fit in a zone-blocking scheme after he struggled mightily last season, potentially setting up Mixon for workloads that rival (or even surpass) what he typically handled in Cincinnati. That said, a summer hamstring injury is far from ideal, even if the Texans mostly have downplayed it to this point.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Tending to hamstring issue
Rotowire
Mixon missed the Texans' last two practices with a tight hamstring, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports. "Joe will be fine," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Joe may miss a little time, but he'll be fine."
Wilson's report provides clarity to what had been previously been an undisclosed injury for Mixon. The Texans aren't concerned about the injury, and the decision to hold Mixon out appears to be precautionary. The team signed Cam Akers to add depth to the position group while Mixon is sidelined.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Missing practice
Rotowire
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Mixon (undisclosed) will not practice and could miss a few days but "will be fine," Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Mixon hasn't practiced the last two days, per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com, but it doesn't appear that he's facing a long absence. It remains undisclosed whether Mixon is dealing with an illness or injury, or whether his absence is of a personal nature, but in the meantime Dameon Pierce figures to handle the bulk of the first-team reps, while Dare Ogunbowale, Jawhar Jordan and new backfield addition Cam Akers (Achilles) also could benefit from increased opportunities.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Anticipates heavy workload
Rotowire
Mixon said Friday that he's spending training camp preparing to handle a large workload, which he expects will go hand in hand with his role in the Texans' offense, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Mixon said he's trained harder this offseason than ever before in his career, per Will Kunkel of Fox 26 Houston, and that he anticipates being near the top of the league in carries this season. While playing all 17 regular-season games for Cincinnati in 2023, Mixon ranked fifth in the league with 257 rush attempts, though his 1,034 rushing yards only ranked No. 8 and he also finished a meager 27th in YPC with a 4.0 average. Mixon did add a 52-376-3 receiving line on 64 targets and boasts a true three-down skill set, but with three star wideouts at the helm of Houston's offense, plus a capable receiving TE in Dalton Schultz, he'll likely have difficulty repeating those target numbers. Unless Mixon can manage to improve his efficiency heading into his age-28 season, he'll indeed likely need to rank close to the top five in carries to truly impress for fantasy purposes. On the plus side, he's well positioned to accomplish that in Houston, as 2022 fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce only profiles as a true backup option, and C.J. Stroud could help this team rank atop the NFL in total scoring opportunities with an improved offense surrounding him in Year 2.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Gets extension from Houston
Rotowire
Mixon has signed a three-year contract extension with the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Schefter, Mixon's reported deal with Houston -- which runs through 2026, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle -- is for $27 million and includes $13 million guaranteed. The Bengals sent the 27-year-old to the Texans in exchange for a 2024 seventh-rounder, setting the stage for Mixon to take over as the lead back in his new locale, replacing Devin Singletary, who signed on with the Giants in free agency. Also in the mix for carries for Houston will be 2022 fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce, but the team's decision to extend Mixon clearly demonstrates confidence in the 2017 second-rounder, a context that should allow him to maintain steady weekly volume in 2024.
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Texans' Joe Mixon: Headed to Houston
Rotowire
The Bengals are slated to trade Mixon to the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Previous reports indicated that Cincinnati intended to release Mixon, but instead the running back is in line to be dealt to Houston for a conditional seventh-round pick, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. The 27-year-old will thus fill the void created by the departure of Devin Singletary and is on track to lead a Texans backfield that also includes Dameon Pierce. In 17 regular-season games with the Bengals in 2023, Mixon had 257 carries for 1,034 yards and nine TDs to go along with 52 catches for 376 yards and three more scores.
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Joe Mixon: Released by Bengals
Rotowire
Mixon was released by the Bengals on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
It was suspected that Mixon could be a potential cap casualty for the Bengals, and that has turned out to be the case. He spent his first seven seasons in Cincinnati and finished the 2023 campaign with 1,410 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage. The veteran back turns 28 years old in July and now will be looking for a fresh start elsewhere.
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Bengals' Joe Mixon: Possible cap casualty
Rotowire
Mixon is a potential cap casualty this offseason, though it won't be surprising if he's back with the Bengals instead, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
The same was said last offseason until Mixon renegotiated his contract in mid-July to lower his base salaries for 2023 and 2024 while adding some incentives. He's now scheduled for an $8.85 million cap hit in the final year of his deal, with the Bengals carrying $2.75 million in dead money for 2024 if the running back is traded or released before he's due a $3 million roster bonus March 18. The timing of the bonus at least means we should have some clarity early in the offseason, whereas last year there were rumors swirling around Mixon from January to July. Possibilities for 2024 include a trade, release, contract extension or simply keeping him under his current deal. He turns 28 in July, coming off a 2023 campaign with 1,410 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage.
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Bengals' Joe Mixon: Tops 1,000 yards in two-TD finale
Rotowire
Mixon rushed 14 times for 111 yards and a touchdown while catching one of two targets for a six-yard touchdown in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Browns. He finishes the season with 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns on 257 rushing attempts, along with 52 catches on 63 targets for 376 yards and three touchdowns.
Mixon took advantage of Cleveland resting numerous defensive starters with the Browns preparing for the playoffs. He opened the scoring with a one-yard rushing touchdown, and after eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the fourth time in his career with a 44-yard carry, Mixon celebrated by capping that possession with a six-yard receiving score. The 27-year-old running back has one more year left on his deal after restructuring his contract in July, so Mixon should be back in the lead role for the Bengals next season.
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Bengals' Joe Mixon: In clear for Week 18
Rotowire
Mixon (illness) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Browns.
Mixon sat out Thursday's practice after coming down with an illness, but he returned to the field Friday as a full participant to clear up any concern about his status heading into the season finale. The veteran back has played more than 60 percent of the offensive snaps in all but one of Cincinnati's 16 games to date, but given that the 8-8 Bengals are eliminated from the playoffs and have little at stake in Week 18, it's possible the coaching staff looks to lighten Mixon's workload heading into the offseason. If that's the case, rookie fifth-round pick Chase Brown could take on a heightened role as Cincinnati's No. 2 option out of the backfield.
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Bengals' Joe Mixon: Misses practice with illness
Rotowire
Mixon was added to the Bengals' Week 18 injury report after sitting out Thursday's practice with an illness.
If Mixon is able to return to practice Friday as a limited or full participant, it would assuage some of the concern about his availability for Sunday's game against the Browns. However, with Cincinnati already eliminated from postseason contention heading into the Week 18 matchup, Mixon could be subject to a lighter workload than usual Sunday even if the illness is fully behind him. Rookie fifth-round pick Chase Brown has worked in a change-of-pace capacity behind Mixon over the last few weeks, but the Bengals could be motivated to give the Illinois product more reps in an otherwise meaningless season finale in preparation for him taking on a larger role in 2024.
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Bengals' Joe Mixon: Finds end zone against Chiefs
Rotowire
Mixon rushed the ball 21 times for 65 yards in Sunday's 25-17 loss to the Chiefs. He added four receptions on four targets for 22 yards and a touchdown.
After being challenged in his role as lead back for the last several weeks, Mixon out-touched Chase Brown 25-5. He was highly inefficient on the ground by averaging only 3.1 yards per carry, though he found more success as a pass catcher. The highlight of Mixon's performance came on a seven-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter -- his ninth total trip to the end zone in his last 10 games.
