Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon delivered in his first game back from an ankle injury, compiling 132 total yards, two catches, and two touchdowns in a 41-21 defeat of the New England Patriots. The first-year Texan caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter, then went to work on the ground, finishing with 13 carries for 102 yards. Mixon's 20-yard touchdown carry in the fourth quarter was his first scoring run since Week 1, and his 30 receiving yards ranked third on the team Sunday. The former Cincinnati Bengal continues to be option No. 1 out of the Houston backfield as the Texans prepare for Green Bay in Week 7.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) is officially active for Week 6 against the New England Patriots. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction heading into the weekend. Mixon will make his first appearance since Week 2 against the Chicago Bears when he suffered his ankle injury while being taken down on a hip-drop tackle. He should handle a near-full workload this week against the Patriots, who have a solid run defense but could allow the Texans to settle into a comfortable positive game script. Mixon ranks as a mid-range RB2 for fantasy football in his first game back.

Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson could see more usage in the offense going forward. Hutchinson will move up the depth chart with Nico Collins (hamstring) landing on the injured reserve. That means, Hutchinson will now be the third options behind Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell in the passing game. Last week, Hutchinson finished with two receptions on three targets for 31 yards in the win over the Buffalo Bills. He doesn't offer great upside, but could be a low-end streaming option in deep leagues. He's worth stashing in most formats, but it's hard to imagine him having a huge role behind Diggs and Dell.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) is expected to play on Sunday according to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Mixon has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury in their Week 2 victory over the Chicago Bears. After opening the week missing practice on Wednesday, Mixon was able to log a limited session on both Thursday and Friday which is also a very good sign. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status ahead of kickoff in case he faces a setback. The 28-year-old looked sharp in his Houston debut as he ran for 159 yards and a score on 30 attempts and should be locked into all lineups as a solid RB2 facing the New England Patriots.

Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods (foot) won't suit up for Sunday's matchup with the Patriots. Nico Collins (hamstring) landed on the injured reserved list, so the Texans will be shorthanded on the receiving end. Of course, Stefon Diggs is expected to be the primary target for C.J. Stroud versus New England, with Tank Dell in line to see more attention. However, with Woods and Collins out of the equation, Xavier Hutchinson, who had two catches for 31 yards in Week 5, could benefit the most. There's also a chance Joe Mixon (ankle), who is questionable, gets more passes out of the backfield, which would improve his PPR stock.