Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) had his reps limited in practice for the second straight day on Wednesday in advance of the team's Week 16 contest on Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mixon tweaked his ankle in the Week 15 win over the Miami Dolphins, but head coach DeMeco Ryans said the 28-year-old back came out of the game fine and that he would be fine to face the Chiefs on a short week. However, Mixon might need a full practice session on Thursday to avoid a questionable tag. With a tough matchup against the Chiefs stingy defense upcoming and when considering Mixon's downturn in recent weeks, it may be best to consider him more of an RB2 rather than an RB1 in fantasy in Week 16. After finding the end zone at least once on the ground from Weeks 6-11, Mixon has averaged only 3.1 yards per carry with one TD in his last three contests.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) had his ankle checked during the Week 15 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday but finished the game. "Joe came out fine, Joe will be fine," head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday. It's good news, but fantasy managers probably weren't fine with Mixon's final stat line in the first round of the playoffs in most leagues. The 28-year-old had 12 carries for only 23 yards but somewhat salvaged his final line by catching five of his six targets for an additional 33 yards. Mixon is still having a fine first year with the Texans -- he's the RB9 in half-PPR scoring -- but his two worst rushing performances have both come within the last three games. It could mean that he's tiring out down the stretch. Because of his involvement on both the ground and as a pass-catcher for Houston, he'll essentially remain a must-start in fantasy despite a tough Week 16 matchup against the Chiefs.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz was targeted four times Sunday against Miami, but finished with just two catches for 13 yards in a 20-12 victory. It was the tight end's second-lowest output of the season after being held to 11 receiving yards against Minnesota in Week 3. In this one, however, every other Texans skill player was in the same boat as Schultz, as the team gained only 181 total yards. The veteran tight end has now finished in the top 10 at his position once in 14 weeks. He and the Texans will look for a more productive day at Kansas City in Week 16.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell drew only two targets Sunday against Miami, catching both for a total of 26 yards in the 20-12 win. He also ran once for 15 yards, bringing his yardage total to 41 on the day. Dell certainly wasn't alone in having a meager performance, as Houston gained 181 total yards as a team. Unfortunately for managers who started the second-year receiver, fellow receiver Nico Collins caught both of Houston's touchdowns despite finishing with 17 receiving yards on four catches. The Texans face a bigger test in Week 16 when they travel to play Kansas City on Saturday.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon gained only 23 rushing yards on 12 carries on Sunday in a 20-12 victory against the Miami Dolphins, but managed to salvage some fantasy value by catching five passes on six targets for 33 yards. The entire Houston offense compiled just 181 total yards in the game, so the veteran running back actually led the team in receiving and tied with wide receiver Nico Collins for the most targets. In the end, though, it was just enough for Houston to improve to 9-5 on the season. Mixon and the Texans will have a slightly short week in Week 16 when they travel to Kansas City on Saturday.