Joe Mixon or De'Von Achane: Who should I start in Week 16 Fantasy Football?

Joe Mixon and De'Von Achane are in different places on their respective depth charts, but sit as significant contenders to start. With the fantasy football playoffs in full swing, the choice between the two running backs has kept managers up at night. Which running back should get the nod? Here's a look at the options.

Joe Mixon at Buffalo Bills v Cincinnati Bengals

Is Joe Mixon a good fantasy pick in Week 16?

Joe Mixon has been a decently consistent starter in fantasy football since before Joe Burrow arrived on the scene, and is even on an upward trend on a year-over-year basis.

Last year, he earned 814 yards and seven touchdowns. With three weeks left in the 2023 regular season, Mixon has now rushed for 815 yards and eight touchdowns. As such, he's a starter quality back and one could do much worse than him.

Even in recent weeks, the player has put up strong numbers, scoring four touchdowns since Dec 4 and earning at least 45 yards in each game. He might not explode a la Kyren Williams, but touchdowns are worth the same as 60 yards, so if the bar is set at double-digits, Mixon has been hitting that bar consistently.

Is De'Von Achane a good fantasy pick in Week 16?

If Joe Mixon is as stable as they come, De'Von Achane is the definition of a boom-or-bust prospect. Achane has three games with at least 100 yards and a game with 200 yards on the ground. However, he also has a game with just one yard, and is coming off a performance that saw him earn just 32 yards against the New York Jets.

He can win a game for a manager in Week 16, but he can also lose it. That said, his best role for the week is for a game in which you are projected to lose by more than ten points. If one is going to lose anyway, one might as well take the boom-or-bust option.

De'Von Achane vs Joe Mixon: Who should I start in Week 16?

On one hand, there is the boom-or-bust backup running back. On the other, there is the consistent stud, but far from a fantasy game-shattering back. Should managers cash in with Achane or count their chips with Joe Mixon?

Mixon wins the choice in a landslide, according to Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer. According to the optimizer, Mixon is projected to score roughly 50% more than Achane this week.

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer declares Joe Mixon winner

Achane is projected 9.1 points against the Dallas Cowboys defense. Meanwhile, Mixon is projected a whopping 14.5 points against the struggling Steelers defense.

Mixon has been forecasted to earn about 48 yards on the ground with a 40% chance at a touchdown. Additionally, he's expected to earn about 35 receiving yards and has a 20% chance at scoring a touchdown via airmail.

As for Achane, he's projected to earn roughly 45 yards on the ground with a 20% chance at scoring a touchdown. He's also expected to have about two catches for 16 yards with a 10% chance to score a touchdown.