Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Austin Ekeler

Tuesday, July 22, 3:16 PM

According to league sources, Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle), who was sidelined this spring and had a walking boot on his injured ankle, is doing great at the start of training camp. However, KPRC's Aaron Wilson writes that the Texans are likely to ease Mixon into practice and drills in camp this summer. With that said, the 28-year-old's medical outlook entering his second season with the Texans appears to be positive, and he should once again be a key part of the offense in 2025. The 28-year-old ran for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season in 2024 despite missing three games due to a high-ankle sprain. Mixon will share a backfield with Nick Chubb and Dameon Pierce in 2025. Nobody should mistake Mixon for an RB1, especially behind Houston's shaky offensive line, but the expected volume alone puts him in RB2 territory in fantasy.

Sunday, January 26, 6:46 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler tallied just 32 all-purpose yards during their loss in the NFC Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ekeler also lost a fumble. The Commanders were playing from behind throughout most of the contest, putting their rushing attack out of the game plan. However, even when Ekeler was given the ball through the air, he could not perform. He caught five of his seven targets but tallied just 17 yards. His seven targets tied him the second-most on the team, only behind tight end Zach Ertz. Throughout the season, the 29-year-old operated primarily as a change-of-pace option in the Washington backfield. Entering Sunday, Ekeler posted a strong 10.3 yards per catch and a 4.8 yards per carry. Ekeler will likely remain in this role next season as he enters the final year of his contract.