Texans’ Joe Mixon Injury Paves Way For Nick Chubb Comeback Season In Fantasy Football

Joe Mixon's injury creates a golden opportunity for Nick Chubb to reclaim fantasy relevance with the Houston Texans as a potential RB2.

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb (21) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Training camps are officially underway, and unfortunately, so are the injuries—this time it’s Texans running back Joe Mixon making headlines. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Mixon is expected to miss “an extended period” as he continues to battle lingering foot and ankle issues that have plagued him throughout the offseason. Already placed on the active/non-football injury list, Mixon’s availability for Week 1 is now very much in doubt, putting a damper on early expectations in Houston.

#Texans RB Joe Mixon, who is on the non-football injury list, is expected to be out an extended period of time with a frustrating foot injury, sources say.

The Pro Bowler coming off a 1,000-yard season will be reevaluated closer to the season to determine his availability. pic.twitter.com/Rz4FVhrkBu

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 26, 2025

Does this mean that the recently-signed Nick Chubb could vault up draft boards?

Joe Mixon 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook:

Last season, Joe Mixon hit the ground running in his Texans debut, racking up 178 total yards, a touchdown, and three receptions on a whopping 33 touches. But durability quickly became a concern—he exited Week 2 after just 29 snaps due to an ankle injury, missed three games, and then dealt with another setback late in the year that limited him to just 27 and 11 snaps in Weeks 17 and 18.

Between Weeks 6 and 13, however, Mixon was on fire, delivering elite RB1 production: 166 carries for 703 yards and 10 touchdowns, plus 21 catches for 200 yards and a score—good for a stellar 22.2 PPR points per game. He topped 20.00 fantasy points in six of those games, highlighted by a monster Week 11 performance (35.30 points).

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) during AFC Practice for the Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Despite his fantasy success, Mixon has averaged a pedestrian 4.0 yards per carry or less in five of the past six seasons. Still, Houston fed him 20+ touches in nine of his 16 games (including the playoffs), proving they’re not shy about riding the hot hand. Now 29, Mixon has logged six high-volume seasons over the last seven years, though injuries have cost him eight games across three campaigns.

With an ADP that slipped to RB19 in late June following the Texans’ signing of Nick Chubb, Mixon remains a high-floor option when healthy—he finished 17th in RB scoring (240.5 PPR points) and would have pushed for 7th (294.7) if he played a full season. He’s currently the RB20 in ECR in FantasyPros’ RB PPR rankings. 

The Texans’ offense should take another leap forward in 2025, but Mixon’s cloudy health entering Week 1 opens the door for Chubb to carve out a more significant role than expected—even once Mixon returns.

Nick Chubb 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

The Texans inked Nick Chubb to a one-year, $2.5 million deal in June, bringing in the seasoned vet as insurance for their backfield. Now 29 and coming off back-to-back injury-plagued seasons, Chubb will look to revive his career in Houston—starting by securing the No. 2 role behind Mixon.

Sources: #Browns free agent RB Nick Chubb, one of the most decorated players available, is expected to sign with the #Texans on Monday if all goes well with his physical, sources say.

Chubb’s 2024 ended prematurely with an injury, but now he could return for more in Houston. pic.twitter.com/Ogy9MKKVxT

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 8, 2025

If he can rediscover the burst and power that once made him one of the league’s most feared early-down backs, Chubb could quickly complicate the Texans’ backfield split. The high-stakes fantasy community currently values him as a low-end RB5 in PPR formats, but that could change fast in the wake of the Mixon news. With a strong camp and positive preseason buzz, Chubb has the resume and opportunity to reemerge as a fantasy factor in 2025.

If Mixon misses Week 1, Chubb is in the RB2 conversation and even when the starter returns, Chubb could provide flex value throughout the season. Buy in! Nick Chubb is still Nick Chubb.