Fantasy Football championships are won by finding value later in drafts and avoiding busts early on. Identifying players that can break out is essential when building a championship-caliber fantasy team. There is one player who is slept on, who could not only contribute to a championship, but also win in someone’s fantasy league in 2025: Joe Mixon.
From Weeks 1-11 last season, Joe Mixon was the RB1. Yes, the RB1. Mixon was on an absolute tear for most of the season in 2024. The running back had over 100 rushing yards in seven of his first ten games. From Cincinnati to Houston, Mixon has shown us time and time again he’s a true workhorse running back.
Despite Mixon missing three games due to injury, he had the fourth-most red zone rushing attempts amongst all running backs last year and solidifying him as a focal point of the Houston offense.
There should be an appreciation of how he ended the season quietly. Many opposing fantasy managers will allow the stain of last year’s muddy conclusion to cloud their vision in this year’s draft.
The end of Mixon’s 2024 fantasy campaign has left fantasy managers hesitant to strike the iron once again in 2025. When it mattered most, Mixon simply didn’t deliver. In the last four games of the season, he failed to give fantasy managers a top-30 weekly finish.
It’s important to note that the team struggled as a whole as last year’s season came to a close. The career-altering injury to Tank Dell, a wide receiver for the Texans, left the team emotionally strained heading into the playoffs, where they still managed to knock off the Los Angeles Chargers as an underdog.
Many anticipate CJ Stroud, QB, should bounce back from his sophomore slump under a new regime. After a stellar rookie campaign in 2023, Stroud left fantasy managers frustrated by his lack of high-end production.
The arrival of Nick Caley as the new offensive coordinator should provide the offense with a much-needed boost. Last year’s play calling from offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik left even the casual fan wondering what the Texans were going to accomplish.
Even after winning the AFC South and upsetting the Chargers in 2024, up seems to be the only direction the Texans can go.
Mixon is currently ranked as the RB16, going in the fifth round of fantasy football drafts. It’s quite ridiculous you can grab the potential RB1 this late. Don’t hesitate to capitalize on the hesitation of others and secure this potential league-winner at a bargain.
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