Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Chase Brown

Friday, August 15, 7:20 PM

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) is "not considered a lock to be ready for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams," league sources tell Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Mixon is dealing with a lingering ankle/foot injury and remains on the Non-Football Injury list. Wilson adds that the Texans aren't rushing things with Mixon and will not rush him back onto the field after he missed the entire offseason and the majority of training camp. If the 29-year-old is not ready for the start of the regular season, the Texans will have to lean on Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and rookie Woody Marks. Mixon's injury has obviously dropped his fantasy value significantly in 2025 despite the fact that he had his second straight 1,000-yard rushing campaign in 2024 in his first year with the team. RotoBaller currently has Mixon as the RB32 in fantasy.

Monday, August 4, 1:50 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown is expected to see an uptick in his passing-game numbers in 2025 after he caught 14 passes for 156 yards a year ago, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Brown has worked to improve his receiving abilities, and head coach Zac Taylor thinks it can be a strength for him. Despite the fact that the Bengals have studs in the passing game with receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki, the expectation is that Brown "will serve as a safety valve in the screen game when defenses try to take away Chase or Higgins." The 25-year-old took over the backfield from Zack Moss (no longer on the team) last year and came 10 yards shy of reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark while adding 11 total touchdowns in 16 games (10 starts). Brown is the focal point of one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, making him a low-end RB1 target.