Should you trade for Joe Mixon? Week 5 fantasy projection for Texans RB
Will Joe Mixon play in Week 5 after missing the Houston Texans' Week 4 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars? That is the primary question we need to address before we delve into Mixon's fantasy outlook for the week.
There were some positive updates on Mixon last week and he was a limited participant on Friday leading up to Week 4. However, it appears the Texans ultimately decided to exercise caution and rest their lead running back in what was a not-quite-comfortable win against the Jaguars.
In any case, a win is a win and the Texans are now 3-1 and top of the AFC South. Week 5 will see them go up against a Buffalo Bills defense that just got torched by Derrick Henry. So what does the Bills showdown hold in store for Joe Mixon?
Should I trade for Joe Mixon?
As of the time of writing, the Texans haven't revealed their injury report for the week but given Mixon reportedly felt better after testing out his ankle prior to the Jaguars game, there is a very high likelihood that Mixon will suit up against Buffalo.
And with good reason.
Mixon rushed for 159 yards on 30 attempts in Houston's Week 1 win over the Colts. He suffered the ankle injury against the Bears in Week 2 and since then, the Texans have run for just 214 yards. It's clear they are missing Mixon's services. RB3 Cam Akers did his best to fill in with Mixon and Dameon Pierce nursing injuries, but both are expected to be back this week.
If you really need a running back this week, you could do a lot worse than trading for Mixon. But before you do, make sure you consult our Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer to make sure you get the better end of the deal.
Joe Mixon fantasy projection for Week 5
Look, the Bills were thoroughly dominated by Derrick Henry but this is 'King Henry' we're talking about. The Ravens star ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns and took home Tom Brady's LFG award for the game. There's very little any defense can do when Henry gets going so let's not put that squarely on the Bills' run defense.
This week, if Mixon plays, Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer projects a return of 10.9 points on 17.4 yards and 2.4 receptions. That's a decent return, all things considered.