Getty Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon
The Cincinnati Bengals and fantasy football owners are sitting in the same boat when it comes to running back Joe Mixon. After a strong start to the 2018 NFL season, all sides just want the young playmaker back on the field.
After suffering a knee injury which sidelined him for the past two weeks, it seemed he was likely to return in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But on Wednesday, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis flipped the script a bit, pointing to a likely return this week, as Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer revealed.
I can confidently say that when reading this, I was as confused as most fantasy football fans likely were. But after digging through Twitter a bit, it seems Lewis speaking in weather terms is a normal thing. In turn, this is a positive outlook for Mixon in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins.
Joe Mixon’s Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlook
Lock and load when it comes to Mixon. Through two games this season, the second-year back was as close to a workhorse as you can envision. He tallied 38 rushing attempts for 179 yards, six receptions for 57 yards and one touchdown.
If the numbers alone aren’t enough to entice you on Mixon’s fantasy outlook, then the matchup will likely get it done. The Dolphins have allowed 416 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, as well as 31 receptions for 269 yards and two receiving scores to opposing backs this year.
While Giovani Bernard has done a nice job filling in for Mixon to this point, the Bengals running back is slated as a top-tier running back in Week 5. He’s a must-start in all formats and all league sizes.
Update
The Bengals have ruled out Giovani Bernard for 2-4 weeks with an MCL sprain, securing Mixon as an elite play across the board. While he was virtually guaranteed a huge workload in Week 5, he now has the potential to be one of the highest-scoring running backs of the week.
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