Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Bucky Irving

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 29, 9:06 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) is on track to return to the field for Sunday's Week 13 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Irving practiced in full all week, which puts him on track to play, barring any setbacks. This will be the first time that Irving has played since Week 4. That being said, Irving is expected to be limited in terms of snaps during his first game back. The Bucs have two other capable options in Sean Tucker and Rachaad White as well. This could turn into a three-back committee which would be bad news for fantasy managers. The Bucs might decide to ride the hot hand in what could be a run-heavy gameplan given quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) is dealing with an AC joint issue. It's tough to trust Irving as more than a high-end flex option during his first game back.