The Houston Texans will face the Green Bay Packers in Week 7. 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 in Week 7?
Joe Mixon participated in a limited practice on Wednesday and Thursday as he continues to work through the high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2. The veteran running back put in a full practice on Friday and doesn’t have an injury designation for Week 7.
He suited for the first time since that game on Sunday, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ win over the Patriots.
Mixon finished as fantasy’s RB2 last week because he also hauled in two catches for 30 yards and another score. However, most of his rushing production came via a 59-yard run in the second quarter. Among the 26 RBs with 10+ carries in Week 6, Mixon ranked 20th in rushing success rate (23.1%).
Mixon played just 42% of Houston’s offensive snaps on Sunday. He hit 72% in Week 1, his only other fully healthy game this season. The Texans held a big lead for most of Week 6, allowing them to rest the 28-year-old. Mixon could see a larger workload in a tighter game against the Packers in Week 7.
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 Week 7?
In a perfect world, when we get running backs returning from injury, they are deployed the way Mixon was in Week 6. After sitting for nearly a month, the veteran was featured with 15 touches, and he earned every ounce of that work (132 yards and two touchdowns).
Dameon Pierce added a 54-yard touchdown run after this game was in hand, and while you obviously don’t get credit for that, it was another positive sign for this offensive line. The Texans were a much more neutral offense through two weeks with Mixon active than they were following the injury; with Nico Collins on the shelf for at least another three games, Mixon is a must-start across all formats until otherwise noted.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 7 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Joe Mixon’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 7
Mixon is projected to score 17.3 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 15.9 rushing attempts for 70.1 yards and 0.6 touchdowns. It also includes 3.1 receptions for 23.7 yards and 0.2 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Joe Mixon’s Week 7 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)
