Joe Mixon's Injury And When To Draft Nick Chubb And Dameon Pierce In Fantasy Football
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Houston Texans starting RB Joe Mixon was placed on short-term IR with a foot injury and will miss at least the team's first four weeks of the season. This has massive fantasy football implications as fantasy managers try to navigate the Texans' running back room.
Texans are not activating running back Joe Mixon by Tuesday’s 4 pm ET deadline, making him ineligible to play at least the first four games this season due to an ankle injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2025
Mixon will be moved to Reserve/Non-Football Injury, which automatically rules him out for at least… pic.twitter.com/i0GaVsJslA
This injury presents a tough challenge for fantasy managers trying to balance short-term production with long-term upside. To simplify your draft decisions, we’ve broken down each Texans running back and their outlook for the season.
Joe Mixon | ADP: RB 28, 78th Overall
Last season was Mixon's first season as the lead back of the Texans, after leading the Bengals' backfield the previous seven seasons. He has a career 7,428 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, and has been one of the most consistent backs in the NFL over the last decade. Entering his age-29 season, it looks like his body is starting to fail him after he suffered an offseason foot injury, leaving him out for a minimum of four games to start the 2025 season.
Despite the injury and his age, Mixon remains the most talented back on the Texans. The challenge for fantasy managers is surviving his early-season absence. Currently being drafted as a flex option at 78th overall, Mixon offers strong value given his RB1 upside late in the year and into the fantasy playoffs. The key question is whether managers can afford to stash him on IR and endure potentially lackluster production at running back to start the season.
Nick Chubb | ADP: RB 48, 148 Overall
Nick Chubb joined the Texans this offseason after spending his previous seven seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Chubb saw great success as the Browns' lead back, rushing for 6,341 yards and 48 touchdowns in his first five seasons as a pro from 2018 to 2022, when he was fully healthy. In his previous two seasons, 2023 and 2024, Chubb has struggled to stay healthy, playing only 10 games after suffering a gruesome leg injury in 2023.
Originally signed to be Mixon's backup, Chubb will have a huge opportunity to lead the Texans' backfield in his absence. Chubb is worth targeting in the later rounds, especially since he could still hold value when Mixon returns.
Dameon Pierce | ADP: RB 78, 292 Overall
The fourth-year pro has an early-season tryout and opportunity with Mixon sidelined. Pierce's best season was his rookie year in 2022, when he started all 13 games, rushing for 939 yards and 4 touchdowns on 220 attempts ( 4.3 YPC). Since being put in a reserve role, Pierce hasn't been able to replicate the same success, combining for 709 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024.
Pierce isn’t worth a draft pick in most fantasy formats, even if the Texans deploy a committee backfield, but he’s a player to keep on your waiver-wire watchlist.
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Ryan Shea is a seasoned sports enthusiast with a sharp eye for strategy and a deep love for the game—no matter the sport. Whether he’s analyzing roster moves or spotting trends before they hit the headlines, Ryan brings a unique mix of research, instinct, and insider perspective to his writing. With over a decade of experience dominating fantasy leagues, he knows what it takes to build championship-caliber lineups. A diehard fan of all things New York, Ryan proudly reps the Jets, Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers—win or lose.