De'Von Achane vs Joe Mixon: Who Should You Start?
De'Von Achane and Joe Mixon are both viable fantasy running backs heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. De'Von Achane averaged 18.1 PPG across 16 games with the Miami Dolphins, while Joe Mixon posted 16.5 PPG in 15 appearances for the Houston Texans.
A 1.6-PPG gap gives De'Von Achane the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
De'Von Achane is the receiving back in this matchup, turning 67 targets into 488 yards, while Joe Mixon profiles as a more traditional rusher with 1165 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. In PPR and half-PPR formats De'Von Achane carries the higher weekly floor. In standard leagues the gap tightens considerably.
De'Von Achane has his bye in Week 12, and Joe Mixon rests in Week 14. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at running back for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
