Things have gone from bad to worse for Texans running back Joe Mixon, who opened training camp on the active/non-football injury list. According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Saturday, Mixon “is expected to be out an extended period of time with a frustrating foot injury.”
The report added that Mixon “will be re-evaluated closer to the season to determine his availability.” This is troubling for Mixon, 29, who spent much of the offseason in a walking boot.
It was reported in early July that Mixon would be ready for the start of training camp, but now we have to wait to see if he can play in Week 1. And Mixon will now tumble in the rankings, as well as Average Draft Position, which is currently early in Round 5 on FantasyPros.
I dropped Mixon from RB20 to RB28, and the earliest I would draft him is Round 7. That will continue to fall the closer we get to the start of the season. And it will raise the stock for Nick Chubb and potentially rookie Woody Marks.
The Texans also have Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale on the roster, but we expect Chubb and Marks to handle the majority of touches if Mixon were to miss any time. And it could be a lot of work since Mixon averaged 20.1 touches per game in 2024, which was No. 7 in the NFL. He also averaged 17.2 PPR points per game, which was the second-best mark of his career.
Chubb, 29, has worked as the starter in training camp so far, but he has plenty to prove after dealing with serious injuries in the past two seasons in Cleveland. He had a devastating knee injury in 2023 that limited him to two games, and he only played eight games in 2024 before suffering a broken foot.
When healthy last season, he looked like a shell of himself at 3.3 yards per carry, which was a career low, and he never topped 60 total yards in any game. That said, Chubb is now worth drafting as early as Round 10 in the majority of leagues with Mixon potentially out for the start of the season.
Marks is also worth a late-round flier, and the Texans were excited to get the rookie from USC on their roster. Houston traded a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 third-round pick to select Marks in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and the Texans also picked up a 2025 seventh-round pick in the trade as well.
Marks spent one season with the Trojans after transferring from Mississippi State, and he excelled in 2024 with 198 carries for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns and 47 catches for 321 yards in 12 games. He could be a nice surprise for Houston and Fantasy managers if he gets the chance for extended playing time.
We’ll continue to monitor what happens with Mixon, and hopefully he’ll be back for Week 1. But Saturday’s news wasn’t good, and Mixon could be someone to fade in most Fantasy leagues this year.
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