The Houston Texans will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB Joe Mixon.
Is Joe Mixon Playing vs. the Chiefs?
Mixon was listed on the injury report as having an ankle injury. He was a limited participant on Tuesday and did not practice on Thrusday. He is officially questionable for the game.
We’ll continue to monitor the Texans’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Joe Mixon in the Divisional Round?
Mixon was managed heading into the postseason (under 15 carries in four straight games), but the Texans went back to the early-season usage patterns and put the ball in the stomach of their RB1 25 times against the Chargers (106 yards, TD).
I think that Houston enters this week with a similar game plan, though I do question its ability to execute for a full 60 minutes as a touchdown underdog. These two teams met in Week 16, and he managed just 57 yards on 14 carries. That’s not an impressive stat line as it is, but what if I told you that he had effectively one good carry?
- Mixon’s splash play: 22 yards with eight coming after contact
- Mixon’s other 13 carries: 35 yards with 39 of them coming after contact
With Mixon approaching 2,300 career touches, forgive me if I’m not confident in a post-contact-rate turnaround in mid-January. He has 13 straight games with multiple red-zone touches and a clear path to work — you’re chasing a touchdown if you go this route, and I’m not in a hurry to bet on the Texans’ offensive environment.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Divisional Round Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Joe Mixon’s Fantasy Points Projection in the Divisional Round
As of Saturday, Mixon is projected to score 12.5 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 12 rushing attempts for 51.3 yards and 0.5 touchdowns. It also includes 2.1 receptions for 16 yards and 0.1 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Joe Mixon’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
3) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Kareem Hunt | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at PHI)
7) Ray Davis | BUF (at KC)
8) Ty Johnson | BUF (at KC)
9) Samaje Perine | KC (vs. BUF)
10) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. WAS)
11) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at PHI)
12) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. WAS)
13) Carson Steele | KC (vs. BUF)
14) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (at KC)
15) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at PHI)