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.

Saturday, November 22, 5:31 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr.'s recent surge in production hit a snag in Week 11, but he could bounce back against a Carolina Panthers defense that has struggled against the run lately. In Weeks 9 and 10, Robinson scored touchdowns and posted his two highest rushing yard totals of 2025. He fell back to earth in Week 11, though, gaining 24 yards on eight carries in the 49ers' rout of the Cardinals. Despite his minimal role behind Christian McCaffrey, Robinson stands to benefit from the 49ers' upcoming matchup against the Panthers. Over the last four weeks, Carolina has given up 5.23 yards per carry to opposing running backs and the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Robinson projects as an RB4 in Week 12 and has flex potential for fantasy football managers in a bind with four NFL teams on bye.