The injury bug took no time in its ramp-up to the NFL season, making its impact felt in the opening two weeks. Several top fantasy football picks and NFL players have suffered injuries that will impact their seasons moving forward.
One player who may be a new addition to the list is RB Joe Mixon. During the Texans’ Sunday night victory over the Bears, Mixon was rolled up on during a tackle, which forced him out of the game. This is especially notable as the tackle appeared to fit the criteria of a “hip-drop tackle,” which was made a point of emphasis this offseason. The tackle is being reviewed by the NFL this week. Mixon was checked out in the medical tent and the locker room before eventually returning to the game. He had just two carries for five yards upon returning.
While it was a good sign Mixon returned to the game, he does not fully seem to be in the clear. The Texans running back is set to undergo an MRI on the injured ankle, which hints there may be a more significant issue than initially recognized.
The results of the scans will impact his outlook greatly, but one player that should jump into the minds of fantasy owners is Cam Akers. The 25-year-old could become incredibly fantasy relevant if Mixon is to miss time and may be worth a pickup based on the lingering nature of ankle issues.
Cam Akers Fantasy Football Outlook
Through the season’s opening two games, Joe Mixon has carried the ball 39 times for 184 yards and a touchdown. This number would be even higher if he was not limited to just nine carries due to injury in the most recent matchup. Based on DraftKings DFS scoring, this has made him the 11th-highest scoring running back with an average of 18.9 points per game.
Houston has a dangerous offense led by C.J. Stroud and arguably the most talented wide receiver trio in the NFL. The variety of threats prevents defenses from being able to focus on one player or area and keeps porous running lanes available for the Texans to capitalize on.
There is no doubt that Mixon has been viewed as the clear number one running back on the roster this season. This was displayed fully in the opening week when he was given 30 carries. However, the ankle injury may force the team’s hand to change this.
Entering the opening week, Dameon Pierce was listed as the number two running back on the depth chart. However, Pierce found himself on the injury report last week and was ruled out of Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury. There has not been an update from the team on him to this point, so that is something to monitor as well.
Even if Pierce is healthy, there’s a compelling argument that Cam Akers is the better option for Houston. The former second-round pick has never served as a full-time starter but had his best season in 2022 with the Rams. In his 188 carries on the season, he tallied 786 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Akers had seven carries during Mixon’s absence on Sunday night, which he took for a team-high 32 yards.
In comparison, Pierce is entering his third season in Houston and continues to see his role reduce. After Pierce received 220 carries as a rookie, that number dropped to 145 last season, taking a back seat to Devin Singletary. While he was inactive in Week 2, Pierce has had just three carries for 16 yards this season.
Even if Pierce is set to return to the field this week, it is difficult to imagine he will receive the entirety of the rushing duties. It’s more likely the rushing attempts will be split up between Akers and Pierce with the Texans’ continued reduction in Pierce’s workload being a point of emphasis here.
While talent is a significant factor, sometimes opportunity is a more clear advantage in the fantasy football world. This is the situation with Akers, who may have a short-term window in which he is one of the more undervalued players in the league.
If Mixon is forced to miss time and Pierce continues to battle the hamstring issues, Akers will be in line for the full opportunity as the primary running back. Akers closed the 2022 season as the starter for the Rams and teased what he was capable of. He tallied 19 or more carries in each of the final three games, the only time in his career he has received this type of opportunity. Across those three games, he produced 345 rushing yards, 63 receiving yards and three total touchdowns.
With so much talent in the offense already, Akers will be able to capitalize on the opportunities he gets and produce for your fantasy team.
It may not be a season-changing waiver wire addition, but adding Akers will give your team a short-term advantage. Keep an eye on the latest injury update to Mixon where we will find out the severity of his injury and his timeline. In all likelihood, Mixon will miss a little time and Akers has a chance to be a great streaming option. Even if it is only for a week or two, these types of additions matter over the course of a season and Akers is worth taking a chance on.
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