- Joe Mixon’s consistency has been his biggest asset: Mixon has established himself as one of the crucial dependable fantasy operating backs since getting into the league.
- The intriguing upside of RJ Harvey: The second-round rookie steps into an intriguing alternative with the Denver Broncos, the place he has the potential to emerge as Sean Payton’s lead again in 2025.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
This fantasy soccer article sequence breaks down the hardest draft-day choices dealing with fantasy managers, utilizing Underdog’s common draft place (ADP) as a information. Each installment compares equally ranked gamers on the similar place, utilizing key stats from earlier seasons and contextual components — together with staff state of affairs — to determine the higher choose.
Today’s matchup will spotlight Houston Texans operating again Joe Mixon and Denver Broncos rookie operating again RJ Harvey as we decide the best choice in Round 5 of 2025 fantasy drafts.
While Mixon enters the season with an NFL position already in place, Harvey has but to play an expert snap, so all of his information on this comparability, together with three-year metrics, comes from his faculty profession at UCF. Only Mixon’s NFL statistics are used on this evaluation.
JOE MIXON (RB16) vs. RJ HARVEY (RB17)
Joe Mixon’s year-over-year consistency has been one in every of his defining traits, cementing his standing as one of the crucial dependable fantasy operating backs since getting into the league. He completed because the PPR RB13 in 2024, marking the sixth time since 2018 that he has reached that benchmark. Given his observe file, it’s affordable to anticipate an analogous stage of manufacturing from Mixon once more this season.
Rookie RJ Harvey enters the NFL with Day 2 draft capital and lands in a good spot for potential fantasy success. Sean Payton’s offense has been searching for a real three-down again, and Harvey might be the reply. He posted robust numbers as each a runner and receiver in faculty, positioning him as a candidate to tackle a major workload in Denver.
UTILIZATION IN THE RUNNING GAME
Mixon dealt with the vast majority of carries for the Texans in 2024, mirroring the workhorse position he maintained for a number of years with the Cincinnati Bengals. However, his involvement within the two-minute drill was minimal, as he performed simply six of a potential 96 snaps in these conditions and didn’t file a single carry. That position went to Dare Ogunbowale, limiting Mixon’s alternatives in a key space for pass-catching backs and making a notable hole in his utilization profile final season.
In Denver, the lead again in 2024 was Javonte Williams, who accounted for simply over 40% of the staff’s operating again carries, a quantity that declined because the season progressed. After recording double-digit carries in six of his first 9 video games, he didn’t hit that mark in any of the ultimate 9. Harvey has an opportunity to interrupt that pattern, backed by the staff’s funding and his robust dashing profile popping out of faculty, together with a 95.1 profession dashing grade that ranked within the 91st percentile amongst operating again prospects since 2017.
UTILIZATION IN THE PASSING GAME
While Mixon wasn’t closely concerned in two-minute drill conditions, he nonetheless operated because the Texans’ lead again in passing-down eventualities general. Though he’s by no means been among the many league’s most dynamic or closely focused backs within the passing sport, Mixon continues to carry down that position due to his reliability and talent to deal with a high-volume workload week after week. That position is unlikely to shift considerably in 2025.
Harvey enters the NFL with a stable receiving résumé from his time at UCF, the place he averaged 20 receptions and over 200 receiving yards per season, complementing practically 3,000 dashing yards since 2023. He tasks because the early favourite to deal with passing-down duties in Denver. Since Sean Payton took over in 2023, the Broncos lead the league in operating again receptions (214), a pattern in keeping with Payton’s tenure in New Orleans, the place his backfields totaled a league-high 1,074 receptions from 2013 to 2021.
UTILIZATION IN SCORING RANGE
Mixon reached double-digit dashing touchdowns for simply the second time in his eight-year profession in 2024, largely due to his utilization in high-leverage scoring conditions. Around the objective line, he was particularly efficient, changing six of his 11 dashing touchdowns from goal-to-go eventualities. He dominated these alternatives, surrendering only one such carry to a different Texans operating again all season.
In Denver, Javonte Williams dealt with the vast majority of goal-line work in 2024, taking 10 of the staff’s 15 operating again carries in goal-to-go conditions. For Harvey to imagine that position, he’ll must outperform Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin, who mixed for simply 5 carries in these eventualities final season. While the Broncos might rotate backs situationally, the mixture of staff funding and lack of confirmed competitors suggests Harvey is well-positioned to cleared the path in short-yardage and scoring alternatives in 2025.
TEAM-LEVEL SITUATION
Both groups ranked under common in run price final season, regardless of ending barely above common in offensive scoring. The Broncos posted a top-12 run-blocking grade, whereas the Texans struggled up entrance, ending twenty seventh in that class. With a number of offseason departures alongside Houston’s offensive line, these points may persist — a possible concern for Mixon, who has seen a dip in dashing effectivity lately.
POTENTIAL 2025 BACKFIELD COMPETITION
With Nick Chubb now in Houston on a one-year deal, he poses probably the most notable competitors to Mixon’s workload. However, Chubb will have to be considerably simpler than he was in 2024 to problem for a serious position. Returning from a devastating knee harm suffered in 2023, Chubb didn’t regain his prior kind, ending with profession lows in dashing grade (62.5), yards per carry (3.3), and most different key metrics earlier than being shut down after simply eight video games. While a bounce-back season isn’t out of the query, it’s unlikely he recaptures a stage of play that might persistently threaten Mixon’s RB1 position.
In Denver, Jaleel McLaughlin noticed his position increase late within the 2024 season, overtaking Javonte Williams because the lead early-down possibility. He posted three double-digit carry video games over the ultimate 4 weeks. Still, as a former undrafted free agent who delivered combined outcomes with elevated quantity, McLaughlin might slide again right into a secondary position with Harvey now within the fold.
While the ultimate resolution is yours, don’t go into your draft blind. Check out PFF’s newest fantasy soccer rankings to see precisely the place Joe Mixon, RJ Harvey and the remainder of your targets stack up heading into 2025.