Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Kenneth Walker III

Wednesday, September 17, 11:11 AM

The Houston Texans have been worringly vague when providing updates on the status of running back Joe Mixon (ankle, foot), who did not participate in any team offseason activities while recovering from an ankle/foot injury. Mixon was placed on the non-football injury list before the start of the regular season, meaning his earliest possible return date is Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens. However, it appears as though Mixon will likely be out significantly longer and could even miss the entirety of 2025. The 29-year-old was a huge piece of Houston's offense in 2024, totaling 1,325 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in 14 games. In Mixon's absence so far, the Texans have turned to veteran running back Nick Chubb, who has 103 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries through the team's first two games. Mixon may be worth stashing in an IR spot for fantasy managers, but the lack of updates from the team is a concerning sign.

Tuesday, September 16, 9:07 PM

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III acknowledged that Zach Charbonnet is expected to continue splitting the backfield with him. Through two games, Charbonnet has outsnapped Walker (56% to 38%) and handled more carries (27 to 23). Head coach Mike MacDonald reinforced that approach, saying, "We're playing the long game. We want both backs to play the whole year." Walker also stated that he's buying into the committee approach to preserve his health. "I believe we have two great backs." Walker's history of injuries is expanding, as he missed six games in 2024 and multiple others earlier in his career. For fantasy purposes, Walker's upside is capped, and he should be valued as a high-end RB3 rather than his typical high-end RB2 profile.