Getty Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals
To state that Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has been a disappointment thus far this season would be an understatement. After Mixon received raving projections from fantasy experts throughout much of the summer, he has come out in 2019 and completely flopped.
Can the uber-talented running back get back to his standout ways, or will the Buffalo Bills help make it three dud games in a row for Mixon? Let’s discuss.
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Joe Mixon Fantasy Outlook vs. Buffalo Bills
Joe Mixon seemed primed to enter the group of elite running backs this season. However, injuries combined with poor play have severely hampered his fantasy value thus far this season.
Mixon, who left the team’s opening game of the year with an ankle injury, has seen his statistics take a nosedive in the early parts of this season. Mixon has averaged a horrendous (Bengals fans cover your ears) 1.6 yards per carry through two weeks of play. He has just ten more yards (27) than he has rushing attempts (17) on the year. Mixon is the leading (used lightly) rusher for the league’s worst rushing attack. This is something he has shouldered the blame for in recent comments.
“I take it personally on me, these two performances I’ve been displaying have been terrible. You (can) call me the peon right now.”
Mixon seems to have at least rid of one thing holding him back in recent weeks, and that’s a nagging ankle injury. He is apparently injury-free, as the running back was left of the team’s final injury report. However there is still one glaring issue, and that is the team that will be lined up across from Mixon on Sunday.
The Buffalo Bills posses one of the best defensive units in football. The Bills are the sixth-ranked total defense in the NFL through two games and are currently the 10th best defense at defending the run. They do come in as just the 16th best fantasy defense against opposing running backs, however, those numbers are certainly skewed. Buffalo has faced off against arguably the two best do-it-all backs in football through the first two weeks in Le’Veon Bell and Saquon Barkley.
The other notable tidbit that seems to be holding back Mixon’s fantasy value is his new head coach’s offensive scheme. Quarterback Andy Dalton has thrown the ball 93 times over just two games, that’s just one behind the Kyler Murray-led air raid offense in Arizona. If Dalton continues on his current pace of nearly 47 passing attempts per game, Mixon may never re-enter the RB1 conversation.
Should You Start or Sit Joe Mixon in Week 3?
The talent is undoubtedly there. This is evident by his AFC-leading 1,168 rushing yards just a season ago. However, the matchup is not. Mixon is not worthy of a top-two RB spot in your lineups this week. If you feel obligated to trot out your likely second-round pick as flex, go right ahead, but don’t be surprised to be burned once again.
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