Week 10 at Pittsburgh
Joe Mixon has not played since October 18th. Many thought he would return this week, but his status is still up in the air. He did not practice on Thursday. If he is deemed ready to go, he will probably get enough of a workload to have fantasy value.
Mixon will face the Steelers who are ranked 12th in aFPA to running backs. Pittsburgh has had trouble in recent weeks stopping the run so if Mixon plays, he should have some success.
Mixon ranks an RB2 if he suits up. But keep an eye on the injury report. If he does play, expect 15-18 touches. If the Bengals think he can't handle that, they might opt to let him rest another week.
Week 7 vs. Cleveland
UPDATE: Joe Mixon was ruled out with a foot injury
Joe Mixon continues to get touches as he has no less than 19 in any game this season. Last week, his total yardage was 69 which is probably lower than you would like to see if yoo are a Mixon owner. As long as the touches continue to pile up, he is good value week in and week out. We would like to see closer to 25 touches per week which is possible but hasn't consistently happend yet.
Mixon had 86 total yards in the first meeting with the Browns who are ranked 17th in aFPA to running backs. The Cleveland defense is average and seems to have up and down days.
Start Mixon but only as a high-end RB2 for Week 7. He is a borderline No. 1 back, but the results have been mixed even when gets touches. Mixon has had only 100+ rushing yard day and four touchdowns in his six starts. Good numbers, but not great.
Week 6 at Indianapolis
Joe Mixon has 30+ touches in each of the past two games which is a great sign for his manager. However, take that number with some caution as last week he managed only 94 yards from scrimmage and zero touchdowns as opposed to 181 and three touchdowns the week before. Usually when you get the touches, the good results follow, but last week was an exception, not the rule.
Mixon will face another tough defense as Indianapolis is second in aFPA to running backs. How much success he has could depend more on how much success rookie QB Joe Burrow has. The touches could be there but the offense also could stall like last Sunday.
Mixon definitely is a starter for Week 6, but is only an RB2 against Indy. We don't like the Bengals offense with Burrow and will probably see something similar to last week where Mixon gets touches but not results.
Week 5 at Baltimore
Joe Mixon was on the injury list before last week's game and ended up running for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He is back on the injury list with shin issues for this Sunday so maybe that's a sign for another big game. Until last week, Mixon was underachieving from a fantasy standpoint. He almost had as many rushing yards last week as he did the first three weeks combined. The other good news was he did get involved in the passing game with 6 receptions and another touchdown. So it was a performance that many were expecting when they drafted him in the first round.
Mixon will face rival Baltimore who is 5th in aFPA to running backs. He has had mixed results against the Ravens throughout his career. In fact, the trend is he has one good game and one bad game each season. With the Ravens run defense, we will side on caution for this one.
Start Mixon for Week 5 but only as an RB2. If he gets 30 touches again, it will be a good afternoon, but that is doubtful he will reach that level in Baltimore.
Week 4 vs. Jacksonville
Although Joe Mixon has been getting the touches, his numbers have been disappointing to date. He is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and zero touchdowns. He has been under 50 rushing yards the past two games and has not been involved in the passing game as much as many speculated coming into the season. Basically, he has not lived up to his top 10 fantasy running back pre-season ranking.
Mixon has a favorable matchup against Jacksonville who is 20th in aFPA to running backs. He needs a breakout game and this could be the week. It will help that rookie QB Joe Burrow has played well so far so that eventually will trickle down to other skill players.
We like Mixon this week as a low-end RB1. He will get 20 touches and expect more in the passing game against the Jags. Start Mixon because he will have his best fantasy week of the season.
Week 3 at Philadelphia
Joe Mixon has 20 touches in each of his first two games, and his production has been decent, but if you drafted him in the first round, you were expecting more. The passing game helped his numbers as he ended up with 86 total yards, 40 through the air. The Bengals offense might be better served if Mixon is around 25-30 touches per game because he is very talented back.
It won't be easy this week as Cincy heads to Philadelphia. The Eagles are sixth in aFPA to running backs so even though Philly has struggled overall on the defense, running backs haven't been doing much through two weeks.
Start Mixon for Week 3 as a RB2. He has a little more value in PPR leagues as the Bengals have thrown more than expected and Mixon is a valuable part of the passing game.
Week 2 at Cleveland
Joe Mixon got 20 touches which is what we expected, but the disappointing aspect is he ended the day with only one reception. If he is going to be an RB1 with chance to be a top- five fantasy back, he will have to get more involved in the passing game. The numbers weren't great with 71 total yards and zero touchdowns, but as long as he is getting the touches, his value will remain high.
Mixon faces the Browns who are 29th in aFPA to running backs. It's hard to judge where the Cleveland defense is because the Ravens offense is that good. But keep in mind Mixon's best rushing performances of 2019 were against the Browns with a combined 308 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The Bengals offense will be a work in progress so that could hold Mixon back a little bit. We do like him as low-end RB1 for Week 2 and keep in mind his success last season against Cleveland. His ranking is a little lower for PPR leagues, but still an RB1. Start him in all leagues and formats.
Week 1 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Joe Mixon is expected to be the workhorse for the Bengals offense as they want to make sure their running game protects the rookie quarterback. Mixon had a breakout season in 2019 rushing for 1,137 yards, but he will need to improve his receiving numbers if he is to become a top 5 fantasy running back.
Mixon faces the Chargers who were 19th in aFPA to running backs in 2019. Los Angeles defense should be better this season so the matchup is fairly neutral.
For Week 1, Mixon ranks a low-end RB1. He has a chance this season to consistently be your No. 1 back but a lot of that could revolve around Joe Burrow and how fast he grows at QB. Start Mixon in all leagues and formats.
Fantasy Upside
Joe Mixon is one of the few three-down backs in the NFL for 2020 so his fantasy value is sky-high. With back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with a minimum of 237 carries, Mixon has established himself as a major component of the Bengals offense. These numbers are even more impressive considering the offense has struggled overall especially at the quarterback position last season. Rookie QB Joe Burrow will run the offense from Day 1 and has shown he has a boatload of talent. If that translates over to the NFL right away, Mixon could push himself into the top-five running backs.
Fantasy Downside
Mixon's carries went up last season, but his yardage, receptions and touchdowns were less than 2018. It may be nothing, but it's worth noting. Mixon has also been talking contract with the Bengals and that could throw a curveball into the season if they don't come to a deal. He has publically stated he could hold out. If he plays, one negative factor could be Burrow. If he struggles with the offense, that could directly affect Mixon.
2020 Bottom Line
Mixon is a strong RB1 for the 2020 season. Expect around 1,150 yards and seven touchdowns which would be slightly higher than last year. We also expect more touches in the passing game. There is little doubt that Mixon is a first-round draft pick in all leagues and formats. He is the sixth-ranked running back and that's about where he is being drafted. Mixon is definitely a player you can build your fantasy team around.
Week 17 vs Cleveland
Joe Mixon still had 23 touches last week although only for 73 yards. Mixon has 20+ touches in each of the last four games which shows the Bengals are still using him down in the stretch to what amounts as meaningless games.
Mixon faces the Browns who are 28th in aFPA to running backs. He rushed for a season-high 146 yards against Cleveland in Week 14 so as long as the touches are there, he should have a very productive afternoon.
Start Mixon as a low-end RB1 for Week 17 as Cincinnati tries to give QB Andy Dalton a win at home in possibly his last game as a Bengal and plays the starters the majority of the game.
