Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Brian Robinson Jr.

Thursday, November 20, 12:34 PM

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) is not expected to play this season as he deals with a foot injury from the offseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Mixon will likely stay on the Physically Unable to Perform list through the end of the 2025 season, while the Texans move forward with veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks in their backfield. Things had been trending this way for a while, as the Texans haven't been giving any real updates on Mixon for pretty much the entire season. Fantasy managers who are still stashing the 29-year-old in redraft leagues should send him to the waiver wire now. Mixon's injury dates all the way back to spring workouts. One would think he'd be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign, but there has been little information about the exact nature of his injury. Marks, a fourth-rounder in April, has slowly started to see more work and should be the backfield leader over Chubb by the end of the year.

Tuesday, December 2, 9:50 PM

Across 13 games this season, San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. has recorded 72 carries for 328 yards and two touchdowns. While the 26-year-old has been productive when given the opportunity in his first season in San Francisco, his playing time upside is capped by the presence of superstar 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Robinson Jr. has yet to play more than 18 offensive snaps or log double-digit carries in any game this season. However, as the fantasy playoffs approach, Robinson Jr. could be worth rostering as a premium handcuff option. He's averaging a career-best 4.6 yards per rush attempt this season and would immediately profile as a starting fantasy running back if McCaffrey were to miss time due to injury. In leagues with 12 or more teams, Robinson Jr. could be worth rostering and stashing through San Francisco's Week 14 bye.