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UPDATE: Joe Mixon was a Saturday addition to the team’s injury report after practicing in full all week. Mixon is worth starting if he is active, but he is questionable with a chest injury, so we’ll need to see what his status is like at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. If Mixon is unable to play on Sunday, Giovani Bernard would get the start and be worth a flex play. If Mixon is able to play but we know he’ll be limited, Mixon is still worth a flex play while Bernard should remain on benches. For now though, if you have Mixon in your starting lineup for Sunday, it might be worth grabbing Bernard if you have a free roster spot.
Those who drafted Joe Mixon this year have likely been disappointed thus far. Despite a consistent workload of more than 16 carries per game through the first three weeks, Mixon has yet to find the end zone or top 100 yards. Will Mixon turn things around this week against the Jacksonville rushing defense? We break down the fantasy implications below.
Fantasy Football analysis: Bengals RB Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon will face a Jacksonville defense that has not been a pushover by any means, but has allowed some running backs to have success thus far this season. Perhaps the running back that saw the most success was Nyheim Hines in Week 1 as he had both a passing and a rushing touchdown. While Giovanni Bernard cuts into Mixon’s usage in the passing game, he is certainly capable of being used as a receiver and will look to find the endzone for the first time in Week 4. The Bengals are favored in this matchup which may lead to more rushing opportunities for Mixon. Given his workload and his known level of talent, Mixon’s slow start must be ignored and he should be deployed in Week 4 lineups.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Start Joe Mixon as an RB2.