Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Tyjae Spears

Saturday, July 26, 1:50 PM

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (foot), who started training camp on the Non-Football Injury list, is expected to be out for an extended period of time due to a frustrating foot injury, sources tell NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mixon will be re-evaluated closer to the regular season to determine his availability, but it sounds as though last year's 1,000-yard rusher isn't a lock to be ready for Week 1 in early September. Dameon Pierce (undisclosed) is also on the PUP list, so Houston's backfield is pretty thin early in training camp. As things currently stand, Nick Chubb, who suffered a gruesome leg injury in 2023, is atop the depth chart, with rookie Woody Marks also set for a substantial role if both Mixon and Pierce aren't ready for the season opener. Mixon can do it all when healthy, but his health has now become an issue, and the Texans' shaky offensive line isn't a good combination.

Sunday, August 10, 1:05 PM

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) will miss a couple of weeks at least after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Saturday's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had to be carted off the field. This means that Spears should be considered questionable to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Sept. 7 against the Denver Broncos. The 24-year-old was set to take on a bigger role in the Titans' backfield to take some of the burden off of Tony Pollard, but that might have to wait for now. With Spears out of action for at least a couple of weeks, it will create more change-of-pace opportunities for both Julius Chestnut and rookie Kalel Mullings behind Pollard. With the injury, Spears is now ranked as the RB46 in fantasy at RotoBaller.