Joe Mixon vs Jordan Mason: Who Should You Start?
Joe Mixon and Jordan Mason are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Houston Texans running back averaged 16.5 PPG in 2025, a full 8.9 points per game ahead of Jordan Mason's 7.6 with the Minnesota Vikings. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
That 8.9-point weekly advantage for Joe Mixon is meaningful but not automatic. Fantasy football is a week-to-week sport, and the answer to "who should I start" often changes based on opponent, recent form, and game environment. Season averages set the baseline; weekly context makes the call.
Both profile as early-down workhorses. Joe Mixon ran for 1165 yards and 11 touchdowns; Jordan Mason posted 758 and 6. Goal-line share, red zone touches, and which team is favored are usually the tiebreaker when neither back offers passing-game volume.
Joe Mixon has his bye in Week 14, and Jordan Mason rests in Week 6. 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.
