Who Should I Start? Joe Mixon or Tyjae Spears

Monday, December 29, 1:56 PM

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (foot, ankle) will not return this season, league sources told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. The expectation all along has been that Mixon would not return at all in 2025, but now it's official. The Texans haven't released many details on the nature of Mixon's foot/ankle injury, but we know that he hasn't played since back in the spring. The 29-year-old remains on the Non-Football Injury list. At this point, it's fair to wonder if he'll be effective at all if he's able to make it back and play in 2026. The Texans will continue to move forward with rookie Woody Marks as their primary ball-carrier, with veteran Nick Chubb and rookie Jawhar Jordan backing him up heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts.

Saturday, December 27, 9:30 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears saw a season-high 13 carries during last week's win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Outside of that, Spears is kept to under five carries most weeks. The 24-year-old has been able to salvage some fantasy value with his work in the receiving game. Spears has finished with five receptions or more in three of his last six games. He'll head into a tough matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 17. A defense that has held receiving backs in check this season. There's some PPR value here, but Spears is best on the bench in most standard leagues.