Houston Texans Running Back Named as Likely Bust for 2025 Fantasy Football Season

The Houston Texans were a sort of darling among NFL analysts and fantasy football enthusiasts last season. Many expected another strong showing from young quarterback C.J. Stroud, surrounded by a host of weapons after a jaw-dropping rookie campaign. Unfortunately, the former Ohio State Buckeye couldn't dodge the sophomore slump and took a severe hit to his productivity, due in large part to the struggles of his offensive line and the decimation of his supporting cast due to injuries.

The market has corrected on the Texans, perhaps to a fault. Most of the projections around the league have given them a modest projection, including ESPN currently listing them at 13th with their Football Power Index score of 0.9, tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and slightly behind the San Francisco 49ers at 1.3.

While they're still anticipated to win a weak AFC South division, the expectations for this team have cooled significantly since their Cinderella run in 2023. This has reflected on Houston's rankings both on the turf and in the realm of fantasy football. Several of their players underperformed last season, which has led a lot of people to be wary of the Texans in their drafts.

The fantasy experts at Footballguys.com recently released their list of potential busts from Houston, and one name led the pack among their panel: running back Joe Mixon.

Last year, Mixon had a decent season, finishing 17th in total PPR points with 240.5. That came in only 14 games, though, so his average output of 17.2 tied him for top-seven. However, his age, mileage, and the arrival of former Cleveland Brown Nick Chubb has the Footballguys fading him. Julia Papworth outlined the reasons why Mixon could be a bust in this upcoming fantasy season:

"That Houston offensive line could be even worse this season with the loss of several key pieces, and I worry that Mixon might have too much tread on the tires. That Nick Chubb will vulture some goal-line touchdowns, too."

According to fantasypros, Mixon is currently the 19th running back to come off the board, with an average draft position of 48. That's a more humble slot than in 2024 when he was the 15th highest-drafted RB.