Positive development for Texans running game as Dameon Pierce is expected to return this week, per league sources, from a strained hamstring that sidelined him the past two games. #Texans starter Joe Mixon still regarded as week to week with ankle injury, per sources

Related Players: Cam Akers

Akers found the end zone on a receiving touchdown last week but was ineffective in all other areas of the field. After a 9-21 performance, his yards per carry are down to 3.31 and he has a fumble to his name. This is likely to be a rotation in Week 4, with plodding Pierce liable to take a little more of the action. It's a stay-away situation until Mixon returns.

No sign of RBs Joe Mixon or Dameon Pierce today. They haven’t practiced this week. Looking more and more like a Cam Akers week.

Related Players: Dare Ogunbowale

Akers took much of the role following Mixon's injury in Week 2, producing 39 total yards on eight opportunities. Ogunbowale will rotate in —particularly on third downs— but Akers should be fired up as a fringe RB2/3 for Week 3.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Joe Mixon is getting an MRI on his ankle.

Related players: Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale, Cam Akers

Mixon was able to return to Sunday night’s game after hurting his ankle, but there’s enough concern about the injury for Mixon to go for tests on Monday, the story went on to say. While it was good news he was able to return, Mixon owners may want to backup their RB if they haven't already. Pierce was the team's RB1 before Mixon was signed and should be up next if Mixon would have to miss time. Ogunbowale is more of the pass-catching back. Akers had a nice preseason and looks to be healthy again and could factor in as well.

Texans OC Bobby Slowik called RB Joe Mixon a "workhorse" in every regard.

Smith had nothing but good things to say about Mixon in this clip. He said he was "fun to coach" and he would love to be used as a passing threat, a blocker, as a decoy or running the ball. He added Mixon knows what it takes to win. If you're high on Mixon this year, he's currently 17th in our RB rankings, coming off the board in the fourth round, so you'll certainly get your chance.

Plot twist: The Bengals are now trading Joe Mixon to the Texans, rather than releasing him. So Zack Moss signs in Cincy, Mixon is traded to Houston. From Joe Burrow to C.J. Stroud.

Related Players: Dameon Pierce

Dameon Pierce has been woefully inefficient with his touches during his first two seasons in Houston, which led to Devin Singletary snatching his job away from him last year. He is unlikely to get in the way of Mixon taking over the majority of the workload. This is a best-possible-scenario for Mixon after leaving the Bengals and brings him right back into fantasy relevance as a pass-catcher on a great offense.

It's the end of an era in Cincinnati, where Joe Mixon spent seven seasons, ran for 49 touchdowns, and was part of a Super Bowl team. Now, both sides move on, with Zack Moss joining the Bengals and Mixon headed to free agency.

Related Players: Chase Brown

The Bengals looked like they would prefer a committee approach towards the end of last season, and that's likely what is going to happen heading into 2024, with Moss operating as the main piece. He won't have the upside of Mixon because of that usage, but he should still be considered a top-25 option, with Brown a little bit behind that.

The Bengals have cleared RB Chase Brown to practice by designating him for return from IR.

They also signed QB Drew Plitt to the practice squad and placed OL Jaxson Kirkland on the Practice Squad Injured list.

Related players: Joe Mixon, Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans, Chase Brown

While normally this may not be all that important of a story in terms of fantasy, the Bengals sit at 5-5 and just lost franchise QB Joe Burrow for the remainder of the season. It's possible the Bengals see what they have in some of their younger players, and this could be especially be true at the RB position where the team has some youth behind Mixon - who is 27 but getting up there in age in terms of RBs. Brown may be worth a stash in deeper leagues.

Joe Mixon’s aggravated menacing case came back not guilty and the Bengals declared they are “pleased that this matter is now behind everyone.” The path now clears for his role as the starter on early downs with rookie Chase Brown behind him. The story of the third-down job has been dominated by the rise of Chris Evans. He’s shown well in pass protection and improved running the ball downhill over last year’s disappointing preseason to become the frontrunner with Trayveon Williams (ankle) sidelined.

Williams seemed to be the favorite to land the passing down job but his injury has allowed Evans to thrive. The story added that outside of one big run, neither Evans or Brown were able to pick up much ground running the ball in the preseason so far. It seems like Brown will backup Mixon for early down work.

Bengals running back Joe Mixon was found not guilty of aggravated menacing and will return to practice. There will very likely be no punishment from the NFL.

Related Players: Trayveon Williams, Chase Brown, Chris Evans

It seems the most likely scenario is that no suspension will be handed down from the NFL. The Cincinnati backfield will be Mixon's for a mostly-workhorse role, with former sixth-round pick Trayveon Williams the mostly likely No. 2.

The Bengals and RB Joe Mixon are finalizing a restructured contract that will keep him in Cincinnati for the 2023 season. Mixon was due $10.1 million this season with a $12.791M cap number. The new deal frees up cash and cap for Cincinnati, and Mixon stays as RB1.

Related Players: Trayveon Williams, Chase Brown, Chris Evans

Congratulations to those who stayed the course this offseason and selected Mixon when he dropped consistently into the sixth round in drafts. Mixon should be considered a high-upside RB2 for the 2023 season.