Nick Chubb, Woody Marks, Texans' Fantasy RB Outlook with Joe Mixon Out 4 Games Injured

The Houston Texans announced Monday that running back Joe Mixon will be placed on the reserve/non-football injury list, meaning he'll miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season.

And that means that Nick Chubb, at least to start the season, appears to be in line to operate as Houston's starting running back, while rookie Woody Marks and veteran Dameon Pierce could be in line for snaps as well.

Just how valuable Chubb will be in that role for fantasy players, of course, remains to be seen.

There was a time when the 29-year-old Chubb would be an easy choice for fantasy players as an RB1 option. The four-time Pro Bowler rushed for over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons between 2019-22, reaching the end zone 42 times in that span.

But Chubb tore his MCL in Week 2 of the 2023 season and damaged both his meniscus and medial capsule, an injury that cost him the rest of that campaign and the first half of the 2024 season. He wasn't the same explosive bruiser when he returned, rushing for just 332 yards and three touchdowns in eight games last season.

He's certainly made an excellent impression during his short time in Houston, however.

"Chubb, from the first day he got here until now, I've seen him just continue to grow and get better," head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters. "You see him get into football shape, and I see him look better and better each week. Especially once we put the pads on, it's like, 'Wow, this is the Chubb that I remember.' Physical downhill player. You see him popping some runs. He still has the explosion, the speed that it takes to make plays in this league. The guy just understands football. Very smart player. Playmaker. When you need him to make plays, he's going to make those plays. He's going to keep churning out yards, so I'm very impressed with Chubb."

It's hard to expect Chubb to return to elite fantasy status, and you can't draft him as a long-term RB2 option with Mixon likely to return to the fold at some point. But he should be in the mix as the RB4 on your roster, and absolutely is a flex consideration in the first four weeks of the season.

Granted, that may change depending on how much run Pierce has, but the fourth-year running back has been on a pretty steady decline in production since posting 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 2022 as a rookie. He's an early-season Chubb handcuff, but long term has much less value.

Marks feels like a stretch this point outside of dynasty leagues. You could probably do worse as a late-round flier, but it remains to be seen if he'll even hold down the role ahead of Dare Ogunbowale. Proceed with caution when it comes to the options behind Chubb.