Career Contextualization
It finally happened. Coming off an injury-plagued 2020 season, many fantasy players were jumping off the Joe Mixon bandwagon. But for those who stuck with him, Mixon delivered big, finishing as the RB3 in half-PPR.
As someone who always believed in Mixon’s talent, it was great to see Cincinnati field an offense that allowed him to thrive. Mixon posted a career-high in touches while racking up more than 1,500 total yards and scoring 16 total touchdowns. Mixon is an elite talent with incredible vision and sidestep abilities. He resembles Le’Veon Bell at his peak in how he navigates traffic and cuts into open rushing lanes.
In 2021, Mixon’s talent and his situation finally aligned. He benefitted from an offensive line that could run block and a talented quarterback who took the onus off of him. Mixon definitely owes some credit to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the dynamic duo that transformed Cincinnati’s offense from a rudderless ship to one of the league’s best.
Career Contextualization
It finally happened. Coming off an injury-plagued 2020 season, many fantasy players were jumping off the Joe Mixon bandwagon. But for those who stuck with him, Mixon delivered big, finishing as the RB3 in half-PPR.
As someone who always believed in Mixon’s talent, it was great to see Cincinnati field an offense that allowed him to thrive. Mixon posted a career-high in touches while racking up more than 1,500 total yards and scoring 16 total touchdowns. Mixon is an elite talent with incredible vision and sidestep abilities. He resembles Le’Veon Bell at his peak in how he navigates traffic and cuts into open rushing lanes.
In 2021, Mixon’s talent and his situation finally aligned. He benefitted from an offensive line that could run block and a talented quarterback who took the onus off of him. Mixon definitely owes some credit to Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, the dynamic duo that transformed Cincinnati’s offense from a rudderless ship to one of the league’s best.
But wait, there’s more. Perhaps the best part for dynasty players is Mixon will begin his sixth professional season at just 26-years-old, and there’s plenty of reason to believe his 2021 season isn’t a flash in the pan.
Current Situation
Mixon’s situation was excellent in 2021, and it somehow might get even better. The Bengals invested heavily in the offensive line, signing right tackle La’el Collins, right guard Alex Cappa and center Ted Karras. The Bengals made moves with Burrow in mind, but they’ll undoubtedly have a residual effect on Mixon in the run game. A more robust group upfront can only mean good things.
Otherwise, Cincinnati’s offense remains mostly intact. Most importantly, Burrow will enter the year healthy and will have his trio of Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd back. Cincinnati’s most significant loss was losing veteran tight end C.J. Uzomah to the Jets.
Mixon’s situation should be just dandy in 2022.
General Prediction for 2022 and Rest of Career
The big question is whether dynasty players should sell Mixon high under the assumption that he won’t manage to top his 2021 season.
That’s a fair question and one I’ll answer a couple of ways. First off, the logic of selling Mixon high is reasonable, depending on the structure of your team. Heck, I’ve already said that now might be the time to sell RB Jonathan Taylor and cash in your chips while his value’s this high. But like Taylor, I’m not actively selling Mixon unless I’m committed to a rebuild.
Given Cincinnati’s youth and upside on offense, Mixon may exceed last year’s numbers. And we shouldn’t have to worry about a decline for at least a couple of more seasons. So unless a ridiculous offer comes across, I’d hold onto Mixon if I’m in title contention.
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