Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Nick Chubb

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, 1:02 AM

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb rushes for 43 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 29 yards. Chubb started the game looking good with an explosive gain for 27 yards on a screen pass. He was mostly inefficient on the ground against a stingy Tampa Bay front with Vita Vea and company. Outside of his 25-yard touchdown run, Chubb rushed for only 18 yards on 11 of his other carries. The 29-year-old looks to be the main back in Houston with Joe Mixon out of the picture for the foreseeable future. He handled 12 of the 15 running back carries while playing 52% of the snaps. There may not be a ton of upside with Chubb moving forward with a poor offensive line and offensive environment, but Chubb is a freak athlete and a time great running back who could still have something left. He looks like he will continue to get volume, and if C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense can find a groove, then he could be valuable. For now, he'll project as a touchdown-dependent RB3.