Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Jerome Ford

Saturday, January 11, 7:57 PM

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon overcame a rare fumble by helping his team secure victory with a 100-yard rushing effort and a game-clinching touchdown in the Texans' 32-12 win against the Los Angeles Chargers in a Wild Card playoff game. In total, the first-year Texan finished with 106 rushing yards on 25 carries and caught one of two targets for 13 yards. The veteran back's best work came after fumbling earlier in the game, breaking a streak of more than 1,000 touches without losing a fumble. Mixon rushed for 58 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown that iced the game, on Houston's final scoring drive. He and the Texans will advance to play a to-be-determined opponent in the Divisional Round.

Thursday, January 2, 2:02 PM

Cleveland Browns running backs Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion) have both been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Ford sprained his ankle in the Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins and will be unavailable to play in the final game of the season. With Nick Chubb (foot) getting a late start in 2024 while recovering from a gruesome knee injury he suffered in 2023, Ford opened 2024 as Cleveland's RB1 and will finish the year as their leading rusher with 104 rushing attempts for 565 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and a team-high-tying three rushing touchdowns. With both Ford and Strong out this weekend, D'Onta Foreman will be in play as a low-upside RB3/flex for fantasy managers as the team's lead back. John Kelly should serve as his backup.