Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Omarion Hampton

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, 1:57 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton struggled in Monday's 20-9 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The rookie finished with eight carries for 24 yards and one catch for one yard. He ran hard, but the Raiders bottled up the run all night. Najee Harris began to see more snaps when the Chargers were trying to ice the game, especially after a botched handoff between Hampton and quarterback Justin Herbert. Week 3 brings a Denver Broncos defense that's stingy in coverage but vulnerable up front. They allowed 165 rushing yards to Jonathan Taylor last week. The Chargers could lean on the run, giving Hampton another chance. But if he doesn't step up, Harris may eat into his workload moving forward.