Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon suffered an ankle injury back in Week 2, which ultimately caused him to miss the last two games. After sitting out the Texans’ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and loss against the Minnesota Vikings, will Mixon return to the starting lineup in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills? Here’s the latest on Mixon’s status.
The Latest on Joe Mixon’s Injury
No, Mixon won’t play this Sunday against the Bills, as he has been ruled out by the Texans.
This is concerning, as it’s earlier in the week than he’s been ruled out for the last two games, suggesting that he wasn’t close to returning to action.
It’s also confusing given the update we got last week when he missed the game against the Jaguars. At that point, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the veteran running back had been feeling better and that everyone involved “agreed to take the safe route and give him another week” of rest.
This seemed to suggest that Mixon could have played, but they just wanted to give him one more week to make sure he was 100%. However, now he’s been ruled out again and wasn’t even a game-time decision.
Source: #Texans RB Mixon will be OUT today vs the #Jaguars due to his ankle injury. Mixon tested it this morning, and while he's feeling better, everyone agreed to take the safe route and give him another week. pic.twitter.com/o0UslcgU6J
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 29, 2024
This is certainly a red flag, and fantasy managers should keep an eye on this situation going forward. Hopefully Mixon is able to return in Week 6 when the Texans face the New England Patriots.
Getting Mixon back will be a huge boost for Houston’s offense. The Texans ran for 213 yards in their season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts, but they’ve run for just 214 yards in the three games since, so they are clearly missing Mixon.
Mixon initially suffered this injury during Week 2 when the Texans were facing the Chicago Bears on “Sunday Night Football.”
Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards brought him down using a hip-drop tackle, causing Mixon’s right leg to be rolled up. Edwards was later fined $16,833 for the hit.
Fantasy Outlook for Texans’ Backfield
While Mixon was ruled out, Dameon Pierce returned from a hamstring injury today, so it’s possible that he’ll be Houston’s lead back this weekend. Pierce beat out Cam Akers for the RB2 job during training camp and the preseason, so Pierce would likely get the start as long as he’s healthy enough to play a significant role.
Akers hasn’t been amazing in Mixon’s absence — with 23 touches for 77 yards, and failing to be a top-25 RB in either start — so the Texans will likely turn to Pierce instead if he’s an option.
If Pierce starts, he could be a solid Flex given the volume he should receive. The worry would be that the Texans would use Pierce and Akers as a committee, ruining both of their fantasy values.
If Pierce doesn’t play, Akers could be used as a viable Flex, but nothing more since he’s caught just one pass across the last two games.
It helps that this is a Bills run defense that was just embarrassed by Derrick Henry.
