The Houston Texans struggled with their run game last season, so acquiring Joe Mixon via a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals is a great move. With little depth in the running back room, Mixon is now the undisputed RB1 in Houston.
Joe Mixon is coming off yet another solid campaign for the Cincinnati Bengals, as he managed to record his third 1,000-rushing yard season in the last five seasons. In 2023, the Oklahoma alumni recorded 1,034 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in 257 carries, plus 52 receptions for 376 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
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Mixon benefited from playing in a robust offense in Cincinnati because he had Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins as his teammates. That will likely be the case again in Houston with CJ Stroud, Dalton Schultz, Tank Dell, Nico Collins, Robert Woods, and Noah Brown as his new teammates, so fantasy football fans can’t help but have a positive outlook for Joe Mixon in 2024.
Joe Mixon is a major upgrade for the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans may have overachieved last year when they reached the Divisional Round. However, the fact remains that their run game leaves a lot to be desired since their running backs collectively scored seven touchdowns with a putrid 23.8% success rate inside the 5-yard line (five scores on 21 attempts).
Furthermore, David Richard from CBS Sports believes Mixon will be a top fantasy football player next season, estimated to be picked between Rounds 4 and 6.
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“So for now, Mixon stands out as a potential 1,400-total-yard, eight-touchdown running back nestled into one of the league’s ascending offenses. That’s not just good, that’s close to top-15-at-the-position good,” wrote Richard. “If he manages to go the rest of the offseason without serious competition added, he’ll get taken in Round 4 at the latest. If competition arrives, then he could fall as far as 60th overall, right on the border between Rounds 5 and 6.”
“If you’re drafting before May, Mixon in late Round 5 is fine. And if you’re in Dynasty, Mixon belongs on a win-now roster because there are no guarantees after this year,” he concluded.
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Adding someone like Mixon will significantly lessen the workload on CJ Stroud’s shoulders. In Stroud’s first year under center last season, with Bobby Slowik as the offensive coordinator, the Houston Texans were 12th and 14th in total offense and scoring offense, respectively.
