When Joe Mixon was in his prime, the former Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans running back was a consistent contributor -- five of his eight seasons saw him go over 1,000 yards on the ground, and he scored five or more touchdowns six times.
But even with Mixon announcing a comeback that eventually landed him with the Seattle Seahawks, this is not the Mixon of old. He missed all of last year with foot issues. And he just turned 30, which isn't exactly young for a running back especially for one with 111 NFL games under his belt.
Let's also add some complications into the mix: Zach Charbonnet will be back soon, although not in Week 5. It sounds like he'll be practicing a bit this week in his return from a torn ACL. Emanuel Wilson proved he could
carry the load this week with a sprinkling of Georgi Holani, and Jadarian Price may return from the IR at some point when he's ready. Oh, and the bye weeks in fantasy start now, meaning bench spots are more valuable than ever.
So Mixon may not get a ton of opportunities unless there are further running back injuries or a Charbonnet setback.
Is Joe Mixon worth a fantasy football waiver wire pickup in Week 5?
I love Mike Macdonald's answer to why the Hawks brought in Joe Mixon pic.twitter.com/31MuaXkfvi
— Niko Tamurian (@NikoTamurian) October 6, 2026
Only in the deepest of leagues would I pick up Mixon. Even if he's on a team that runs the ball well like the Seahawks, there are too many factors swirling to make him fantasy relevant. I'd rather roster some other players right now as Mixon gets back into form, but if you have a bench spot in a deep league and have the ability to stash him? OK. But expectations are low here.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Is Joe Mixon worth a fantasy football waiver wire claim amid Seahawks return?
