Joe Mixon of the Houston Texans and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints are two running backs with upper-level skills, both as a runner and receiver.
So, when fantasy managers are left deciding which of the two to draft, should they choose the one whose running ability exceeds his receiving talent (Mixon), or would it be better to take the back who remains arguably the premier pass catcher among running backs (Kamara)?
Here’s the fantasy outlook for both top-20 running backs this season.
2024 Fantasy Outlook for Joe Mixon
Mixon checks in as the RB14 in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings.
He is going from a team that had an elite quarterback and wide receivers in the Cincinnati Bengals to a team that has an elite quarterback and wide receivers in the Texans.
Mixon is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, as 2023 marked the first time Mixon rushed for at least 1,000 yards (1,034) and had at least 50 receptions in the same season (52). It was also the fifth time in the last six seasons he had 1,200 or more scrimmage yards.
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Mixon’s fantasy output was either good or great, depending on how you prefer to view the numbers.
On the one hand, his 15.7 fantasy points per game ranked 11th among running backs, as he was healthy enough to play in all 17 games. Mixon’s total fantasy points (267.0) were the sixth-most among running backs.
2024 Fantasy Outlook for Alvin Kamara
Kamara is the RB17 in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings. While still ranked among the top 20 running backs, some of Kamara’s numbers from last season should be a concern for fantasy managers.
From a fantasy standpoint, Kamara’s 2023 season was the opposite of Mixon’s in some ways.
While he had the third-highest fantasy points per game average among running backs (17.9 PPG) because he was only on the field for 13 games, Kamara’s total fantasy points (233.0) ranked outside the top 10 (11th).
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Kamara is coming off a season in which he rushed for a career-low 694 yards, and his 53.4 rush yards per game average was the second-lowest of his career (45.5 as a rookie in 2017). In addition, Kamara averaged less than 4 yards per carry (3.9) for the second time in his last three seasons.
And yet, Kamara’s receiving skills cannot be understated. For the fifth time in his seven seasons, Kamara had at least 75 receptions, and his catch percentage of 87.2% was not only a career-high, but it was also easily the highest in the NFL among players who had at least 75 catches last season.
The flip side of this, however, is that Kamara’s yards per reception (6.2) was a career low, and represents further evidence that perhaps his days as an explosive back are gone.
Who Should I Draft in 2024?
Both Mixon and Kamara are expected to be the featured running backs in offenses that could be among the best this season, although more is probably expected of the Texans, with the number of big-time wide receivers on their roster.
It would appear that Mixon’s career is steady and showing no signs of declining, while Kamara’s career is beginning its final descent.
While Houston and quarterback C.J. Stroud may find it difficult to get Mixon a lot of touches, given its wide receiver core, I still think they will use him enough to be impactful for fantasy managers.