Who Should I Start? Duke Johnson or Joe Mixon

Sunday, May 5, 1:51 PM

Running back Duke Johnson announced his retirement from professional football on Sunday. Johnson was originally taken in the third round (77th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2015 NFL draft out of Miami. He spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Browns before spending two years with the Houston Texans. Johnson played for the Miami Dolphins in 2021 and the Buffalo Bills in the final year of his career in 2022. The 30-year-old wraps up his career having recorded 2,265 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 532 carries, adding 311 catches on 405 targets for 2,870 yards and an additional 12 touchdowns in 97 games (21 starts) covering eight seasons. Johnson had a career-high 410 rushing yards on 83 attempts in his first year in Houston in 2019.

Friday, June 20, 12:20 AM

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) is expected to be ready at some point during training camp this summer, according to KPRC 2 Sports' Aaron Wilson. It's a bit ambiguous, but Wilson also goes on to say that it's possible Mixon will be taking part in workouts on the first day of camp in late July. The 28-year-old apparently aggravated ankle and foot injuries that he battled through in 2024, which is why he didn't take part in OTAs this spring. Barring a setback, Mixon should be ready for the start of the regular season, but it's certainly something that fantasy managers should be keeping close tabs on after he was in a protective brace. He finished as the RB15 in half-PPR leagues in his first year in Houston but was noticeably quiet toward the end of the year after battling ankle issues. There are injury concerns with Mixon, but he should at least be a high-end RB2 with plenty of volume if he can stay on the field.