Bengals RB Joe Mixon headed back to the locker room in the 1st quarter of Sunday's game against the Lions with an ankle injury. He's officially questionable to return. We'll pass along an update when we get one.

UPDATE: Mixon only played 7 snaps against the Lions.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) put in a full week of practice and isn’t listed on the final injury report. He’ll return as Cincinnati’s lead back against the Lions on Sunday. Mixon tallied 22 and 26 touches in his last 2 full outings.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's practice. That puts him on track to be cleared for this weekend's game against the Lions. That's a plus matchup for Mixon, but Cincinnati's crumbling offense lowers his fantasy ceiling and floor.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Vikings. He put in limited practices on Thursday and Friday, so he's at least made some progress through the protocol. We'd tentatively expect him back for Week 16. Gio Bernard will again serve as Cincinnati's feature back tomorrow. But a matchup with the league's 2nd-ranked RB defense makes him just a borderline RB2 play.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game against the Vikings. He put in limited practices on Thursday and Friday, but it looks like he still has at least 1 stage of the protocol to pass through. We’ll look for another update on his status this afternoon — and we’ll find out his official status by noon ET on Sunday. RB Gio Bernard will again operate as Cincinnati's feature back if Mixon is out.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. It gives him a shot to play against the Vikings this weekend, but he still has multiple stages of the protocol to pass through. We'll get another update on Mixon tomorrow.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) remained sidelined on Wednesday. So he hasn't made much, if any, progress through the protocol. We'll see if he's able to get on the field tomorrow. Gio Bernard will again serve as Cincinnati's feature back this weekend if Mixon can't play -- albeit in a tougher matchup against the Vikings.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is out for Sunday's game against the Bears. He didn't practice all week and isn't a lock to be cleared for Week 15. Mixon's absence this weekend leaves Gio Bernard in something close to a feature role. The only other RB on the Bengals' roster is 5th-round rookie Brian Hill, who joined Cincinnati in mid-November and doesn't have an NFL carry to his name. The matchup isn't ideal against Chicago's 11th-ranked RB defense, but volume makes Bernard a strong RB2 play. He's handled 15+ touches in in 25 NFL games and averaged 14.8 PPR points in those outings.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) remain sidelined on Thursday. With multiple stages of the protocol to pass through still, he's a long shot to play against the Bears this weekend. That'd make Gio Bernard something close to a feature back. The only other RB on Cincinnati's roster is 5th-round rookie Brian Hill.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. That's not a surprise considering he suffered the head injury just 2 days ago. Mixon probably needs to return to a limited practice tomorrow to have any shot of playing this weekend. Fantasy owners should proceed as if he won't play. That'd leave Gio Bernard in a feature role.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon left in the 2nd quarter against the Steelers to be evaluated for head and shoulder injuries, according to ESPN's Lisa Salters. He's questionable to return. Gio Bernard took over backfield duties after Mixon left.

Update: The Bengals have ruled Mixon out for the game with a concussion. The shortened week won't help his chances of returning for Sunday's game against the Bears.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora hears that Bengals RB Joe Mixon's role is expected to expand under new OC Bill Lazor. The rookie already leads the team with 17 carries through 2 games. But he's been targeted just 4 times and played only 30.4% of Cincinnati's offensive snaps. Mixon remains a risk/reward RB3 for this week. But now might be your last chance to buy low on him.

The Bengals have fired OC Ken Zampese, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson. Zampese's offense failed to score a TD in 2 games, although QB Andy Dalton has been just as much to blame as the play-calling. We'll see if this move sparks the offense. It might also help RB Joe Mixon, who's been mired in a 3-headed committee.

UPDATE: Zampese will be replaced by QBs coach Bill Lazor, who spent 2014 and 2015 as Dolphins OC. The 2014 Fins ranked 11 in points scored and 14th in total yards. They fell to 27th and 26th, respectively, in 2015.

RB Jeremy Hill started in the Bengals backfield in Friday night's preseason opener against Tampa Bay, but rookie RB Joe Mixon got in for touches starting with the 1st drive. Altogether, he carried 6 times for 31 yards and caught a pass for 11 more. Hill, meanwhile, ran for 26 yards on 7 rushes. Amid rumors that Hill could "start" all season, it's clear that Mixon will at least factor heavily into the backfield. We'll see where this work split goes. Of course, Mixon's late-Round 3 ADP has made him an expensive upside play in recent fantasy football drafts.

Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official website expects RB Jeremy Hill to remain a factor this season. Specifically, Hobson believes that "Hill figures to always be a presence inside the 5." That makes sense. Despite disappointing the past 2 years, Hill has remained effective near the goal line. He's turned 14 of 28 carries inside the 5-yard line into TDs -- a 50% conversion rate that's more than 5 percentage points better than league average. That role could at least make Hill a factor in TD-heavy fantasy leagues. He also figures to put a dent in RB Joe Mixon's upside. We're as excited as anyone about the rookie's potential, but he might lose goal-line work to Hill and some pass-catching action to Gio Bernard. That'd make it tough to Mixon to pay off his current RB13 price tag.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, RB Giovani Bernard might not be ready for the start of the season. Bernard's expected to avoid the regular-season PUP -- which would cost him at least 6 games -- as he comes back from an ACL tear. The RB's progress will bear watching through the summer, of course, to see exactly when we can expect to see him and how close he'll be to full strength. Any missed time would give Joe Mixon more chances to show his stuff.

The Bengals rolled the dice on Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon with the 48th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Mixon’s off-field transgression — he punched a woman in 2014 — caused him to drop in the draft and will continue to haunt him as a pro. But on the field, this is a 1st-round talent. Perhaps the best RB in the class. Mixon shows good patience, power and burst as a runner. And he’s a big-time weapon in the passing game. He exploded for 1,274 rushing yards on just 187 carries this past year and averaged a robust 6.8 yards per carry across 2 college seasons. Mixon added 65 total receptions for 894 yards (13.8 yards per catch) and 9 TDs. And he doesn’t turn 21 until July. Mixon joins a crowded backfield in Cincinnati alongside Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard. But Hill has disappointed since his rookie season, while Bernard is rehabbing from his 2nd torn ACL. Mixon certainly has a shot — and might be the favorite — to lead the 2017 backfield in touches.