C.J. Stroud
Quarterback #7
C.J. Stroud News
Texans GM Optimistic About Eventual C.J. Stroud Extension
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud remains in the team's long-term plans, which is encouraging for his dynasty outlook, with general manager Nick Caserio expecting the two sides to eventually reach an agreement on a contract extension, according to KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson. Houston held productive negotiations with Stroud's representatives during the offseason but failed to finalize a deal before the 2026 campaign. Although the sides initially planned to postpone further discussions until after the season, Caserio has since indicated that he remains open to resuming talks sooner. The Texans exercised Stroud's fifth-year option in April, guaranteeing him approximately $25.9 million in 2027 and keeping him under contract through that season. However, no agreement has been announced, and the timing of further negotiations remains uncertain.
Oct 26, 2026 7:43 AM EST
C.J. Stroud A Top-10 Option in Week 7
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a great game in London last week and led his team to a second straight win away from Reliant Stadium. This week, he'll look to lead his team to another win as they come home to face the Giants. In last week's win over the Jaguars, Stroud threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, giving him nine passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown to go with only one interception. He is averaging 285.7 passing yards per game and attempting an average of 36.5 passes per game. Stroud has a favorable matchup against the Giants, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to QBs this season, giving Stroud a very high ceiling in Week 7, especially with Marvin Harrison Jr. more incorporated into the game plan and Tank Dell (knee) possibly returning. Stroud is the No. 9 QB in RotoBaller's rankings this week, marking the first time he has moved into the top 10 this season. He's a borderline QB starter even in single-QB formats this week and a must-start in two-QB leagues.
Oct 24, 2026 3:00 AM EST
C.J. Stroud Lights Up Jaguars in London
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a strong day in London, leading the team to a 34-31 Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Stroud completed 24 out of 34 passes (70.6%) for 312 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Stroud added one rushing attempt for five yards. While Stroud threw an interception in the end zone to Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter with under four minutes to play, it did not end up costing the Texans the game, and Stroud carved up the Jacksonville defense throughout the day. He connected on a touchdown pass with wide receiver Jaylin Noel and found tight end Foster Moreau for two scores. Stroud is playing well and has an ideal matchup against the New York Giants in Week 7. He should be started in all formats.
Oct 18, 2026 9:15 AM EST
C.J. Stroud Is a Solid QB2 in Week 6
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will have new acquisition Marvin Harrison Jr. available for the team's Week 6 matchup in London against the Jaguars. Stroud has been putting up good numbers in the last several weeks, and he led his team to their first win of the season last week in Tennessee. He threw for 261 yards and a touchdown while running for another score on a season-high six rushing attempts. Stroud has averaged 37.0 pass attempts per game, with at least 30 pass attempts in all but one of his five games this season. With so much volume, he has averaged 280.4 passing yards per game with a total of six passing scores and no interceptions. He'll be in a tough matchup against the Jaguars this week, who have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to QBs this season. His volume and having Harrison available keep him as a solid second QB option, though, and he lands at No. 15 in RotoBaller's Week 6 rankings. He can be an emergency starter in single-QB leagues if needed, but is much more solid as a strong QB2 in dual-quarterback formats.
Oct 16, 2026 7:42 PM EST
C.J. Stroud Emerging as a Potential Top-12 Quarterback Option
Across five games so far in 2026, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has completed 64.3% of his pass attempts for 1,402 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The 25-year-old has flown under the radar because he hasn't delivered many touchdown passes yet. However, he's quietly thrown for at least 260 yards in four out of five games, and he's averaging 294 yards per game in the three contests where star Texans wideout Nico Collins has been active. Stroud may now be getting another high-end weapon to work with, as Houston acquired wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Texans have also been one of the least efficient rushing teams in the NFL this season, and RB1 David Montgomery (groin) may miss time with a groin injury. In leagues where he's available, Stroud could be worth targeting on the waiver wire for fantasy managers.
Oct 12, 2026 5:22 PM EST
C.J. Stroud a Borderline Starter against the Titans
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is still trying to get his team its first victory of the season, and he is in a good spot to post solid stats this week against the Titans in Tennessee. With the run game often bogging down, Stroud has had to throw more this season, averaging 37.8 attempts per game with over 30 pass attempts in three of his four games. He have five touchdowns and no interceptions this season, while averaging 285.2 passing yards per contest. The Titans have allowed four passing touchdowns in four weeks to opposing QBs and an average of 220.5 passing yards per game. Last week, Lamar Jackson looked excellent against them in the first half before leaving with an injury. The Titans have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to QBs this season, but in a desperation game, Stroud is the No. 14 QB in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 5, making him a fringe starter in single-quarterback leagues and a very strong QB2 in dual-QB formats.
Oct 10, 2026 3:06 AM EST
C.J. Stroud Entering Borderline QB1, Waiver-Pickup Territory
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had his best game of the season in Week 4, scoring over 23 fantasy points by throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Since Week 1 he's played mistake-free football, as he hasn't turned the ball over a single time since Week 1. The return of wide receiver Nico Collins adds a lot to Stroud's upside, as he caught two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. Collins is one of the NFL's best receivers, and the offense is completely different when he's on the field. Stroud averages nearly 20 fantasy points per game in games Collins starts and finishes, and if he were to keep that same pace for the rest of the season, he would be one of the clear best QBs in fantasy football. He's still on waivers in a large portion of 1QB leagues, but just a few more games will Collins will likely make his rostership rise and make it much more difficult to pick him up. You may even be able to use your waiver claims on more highly-coveted players and wait for free agency to start to pick up the Texans starting quarterback. He's likely undervalued currently, and is one of the better QB pickups on waivers right now, despite the Texans being 0-4 and his poor fantasy performance last season.
Oct 6, 2026 4:56 PM EST
C.J. Stroud Is a QB2 with His Top Receiver Back
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will get his elite No. 1 receiver, Nico Collins, back after a two-week absence this week for a must-win game against the Cowboys. The Texans almost beat the Colts in Week 3, but slid to 0-3 for the second straight season. Stroud only threw for 167 yards and a touchdown in that loss, completing just 16 of his 27 pass attempts (59.3%). He had multiple passing touchdowns only once this season, and that was in Week 1 when Collins was healthy. While he'll also need better pass protection up front, getting Collins back should give the offense a boost this week, and the Cowboys have been a favorable matchup for quarterbacks this season, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to the position. Stroud definitely has the potential to air it out, as he showed with his 55 pass attempts in Week 2, and the Texans' offense needs to get going right away if they want to rally to the playoffs like they did last year. In this favorable matchup and with Collins back, Stroud is the QB14 in RotoBaller's Week 4 rankings, making him a high-end QB2 and possibly even an option in deep single-QB leagues. He's high-risk but brings good upside in what could turn into a high-scoring home game.
Oct 3, 2026 5:43 AM EST
C.J. Stroud Worth Adding With Top Wideout Nearing a Return
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had his worst showing of the young season in Sunday's Week 3 loss to the division-rival Indianapolis Colts, going 16-for-27 passing (59.3%) for 167 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. He added two carries for 10 yards on the ground in the 19-17 loss. The 24-year-old struggled to move the football consistently against the Colts' defense without his top receiver, Nico Collins (hamstring), who missed a second straight game with a hamstring injury. The former second overall pick from Ohio State threw for 353 yards in the Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and went for 274 yards and two TDs in the season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills. Most notably, Stroud has avoided an interception through three weeks, and he could be getting Collins back this weekend in Houston's Week 4 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense has surrendered the third-most passing yards per game early in the year. Stroud is still a strong QB2 to have rostered in fantasy, and his arrow could be pointing back up soon once he gets his top target back.
Sep 28, 2026 7:43 PM EST
C.J. Stroud Is a High-Risk QB2 without His Top Receiver
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud led the NFL in pass attempts through the first two weeks of the season, attempting a total of 93 passes against the Bills and Bengals. While he has had plenty of opportunities, he has only completed 60.2% of those passes for an average of 313.5 yards per game and two passing scores. Stroud threw the ball 55 times last week against the Bengals but couldn't lead the offense into the end zone on any drives in the team's 20-6 defeat. Stroud and the Texans' offense felt the absence of top receiver Nico Collins (hamstring), who will miss a second straight game this week. The 0-2 Texans will be visiting the 0-2 Colts in a matchup of desperate teams trying to avoid three straight losses to start the season. The Colts have allowed the third-most fantasy points to QBs this season, allowing 300+ yards passing to both Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. While he does have some sleeper upside, without Collins, Stroud is only the No. 25 QB in Rotoballer's rankings in Week 3. He's high-risk in this struggling offense and is not a good option in single-QB leagues, sitting on the fringes of being a starter in dual-QB leagues.
Sep 26, 2026 2:52 AM EST
Jaylin Noel Building Chemistry with his QB
Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel has been developing a better connection with QB C.J. Stroud, according to what the starting QB told Cody Stoots. Stroud said that Noel brings amazing quickness and is playing faster and faster. With Nico Collins (hamstring) unable to return to practice yet and likely to miss a second straight game, Noel could get a chance to show off that growing connection in Week 3's matchup with the Colts. With Collins out last week, Noel's targets and snap share increased, but he only managed to bring in one catch for 31 yards and added a 13-yard rush. The second-year receiver from Iowa State should have an opportunity to step into a bigger role this season in the absence of Jayden Higgins (knee) as well, but he has yet to put together a big game. The fact that Stroud is praising him speaks to his potential, though, and he's still a sleeper to watch as the Texans look for pass-catchers to step up and produce.
Sep 24, 2026 5:23 AM EST
C.J. Stroud's High Volume an Intriguing Factor on the Waiver Wire
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is producing solid game stats despite leading his team to a 0-2 start. Stroud has strung together two slightly above-average fantasy performances so far, and his last one didn't even require him to score a touchdown. Against the Bills in Week 2, he racked up 355 passing yards on a whopping 55 pass attempts. He didn't have any touchdowns, but he also didn't have any interceptions or fumbles. Stroud now has 627 passing yards, 44 rushing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and two lost fumbles in 2026. He has been playing well enough to rank as a fringe top-12 fantasy quarterback in terms of total scoring, and he can be a matchup-dependent low-end QB1 going forward. He's a particularly intriguing waiver wire target ahead of Week 3, as the Texans prepare for a divisional battle against the Indianapolis Colts. In his last clash with Indy, Stroud threw for a modest 169 yards but totaled two touchdowns and zero turnovers. Stroud remains available in plenty of fantasy leagues, making him a solid waiver wire pick-up this week.
Sep 21, 2026 8:05 PM EST
C.J. Stroud a Potential Waiver-Wire Streamer Against the Bengals
After going largely undrafted in most single-quarterback leagues, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has worked his way back into the streaming conversation after a solid outing in a Week 1 loss to the Bills. The Texans face the Bengals in Week 2, but after being one of the top defenses to target in 2025, Cincinnati held Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to 7.6 fantasy points in Week 1, forcing three turnovers. After throwing four interceptions of his own in a season-ending playoff loss to the Patriots, Stroud protected the ball better in Sunday's season opener but still lost two fumbles, including one deep in Bills territory on a potential game-winning drive. Even with the two turnovers, Stroud finished the week as the QB15 and is RotoBaller's QB19 for Week 2.
Sep 15, 2026 10:02 AM EST
C.J. Stroud and Texans Agree to Put Contract Talks on Hold
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans have mutually agreed to wait until after this season to work out a long-term deal. Both sides made a run at completing an extension before the regular season began, but both sides agreed they prefer to focus on the season at hand. Stroud is entering the final year of his rookie contract, but the team exercised his fifth-year option this April to keep him through the 2027 season. The 24-year-old has been unable to build off his historic rookie season and has struggled at times in big games. The last time we saw Stroud, he completed 20 of his 47 passes for 212 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions in a losing effort in the playoffs. Stroud will enter a critical year that will determine if he is worthy of a monster extension worth over $50 million per year.
Sep 12, 2026 2:48 PM EST
C.J. Stroud Is a Low-End QB2 in Week 1
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will host the Bills in Week 1, as Stroud tries to prove he's worth a contract as a true franchise QB. He struggled down the stretch last season and in the playoffs, and he has lots of unanswered questions coming into his fourth NFL season. Last year, he threw 19 touchdowns and reached 3,041 passing yards in 14 regular-season games. His passer rating and adjusted QBR both improved last year compared to 2024, but his rough ending to the season leaves questions about his effectiveness. The Texans will look to rely on their defense and running game again this year, leaving Stroud as a low-volume, touchdown-reliant option in most matchups. The Bills were a top-10 defense against QBs last year, so Stroud is RotoBaller's No. 22 QB in Week 1, leaving him on the bench in all but the deepest two-QB leagues.
Sep 11, 2026 4:46 PM EST
C.J. Stroud an Intriguing Streamer in Potential Week 1 Shootout
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud could be headed for a high passing volume and plenty of scoring opportunities in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. Stroud was consistently drafted in fantasy leagues with 14+ teams, leaving him available on the waiver wire in eight-team and 10-team formats, as well as some 12-team leagues. The former No. 2 overall pick is looking to shake off a frustrating 2025 season in which he threw for a modest 3,041 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His production continued to go downhill in the playoffs. Stroud has now seen his fantasy ranking decline every year since being drafted, but he could trend back up in a revamped offense this year. He also stands to benefit in a big way from the Texans' Week 1 matchup against the Bills. Although Buffalo allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks last year, Texans-Bills projects as a potential shootout, leaving plenty of touchdown upside for Stroud. Managers who are already looking for some quarterback help in Week 1 should look to add Stroud off the waiver wire. He'll continue to get some favorable situations after the Bills game, as he runs into a stretch of matchups against the Bengals, Colts, Cowboys, and Titans.
Sep 8, 2026 9:07 PM EST
C.J. Stroud Unlikely to Open 2026 Season With a New Deal
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is "prepared to play out this season without a new deal," despite the Texans making what they considered a competitive offer, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. The current sentiment is that Stroud will "most likely not end up with a new deal" before Week 1. However, Fowler's understanding is that the Texans are prepared to put Stroud in "what it feels is a strong place among the 12 QBs in the $50 million club." If Stroud bets on himself and has a strong 2026 bounce-back campaign, he can "let an exploding QB market do the work for him." The former second overall pick out of Ohio State had a strong training camp this summer and has plenty of talent around him (even with receiver Jayden Higgins (knee) done for the year), making him a popular rebound candidate as a QB2 with upside for fantasy football purposes. If Stroud does not ink a new deal with Houston before Week 1, he will have plenty of incentive to turn his game around after two straight disappointing seasons.
Sep 2, 2026 9:30 AM EST
Texans Have Had "Productive Talks" With C.J. Stroud on Extension
Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said on Tuesday that he has had "productive talks" with quarterback C.J. Stroud on a potential long-term contract extension, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Caserio said that if nothing gets done before the start of the 2026 regular season, then something will likely be worked out next offseason. According to a source, no deal is imminent. The 24-year-old former second overall pick in 2023 from Ohio State came out swinging as a rookie and threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in 15 regular-season starts. He regressed in each of the last two seasons, though, and threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 regular-season games in 2025 before falling apart in the playoffs. Stroud still has the ability to bounce back to his rookie production, but he will need Houston's supporting cast to step up around him, mainly the offensive line. Receiver Jayden Higgins' season-ending knee injury did not help matters. Fantasy managers should treat Stroud as a low-end QB2 option with upside as he looks to prove to the Texans that he is worth a big contract extension next offseason.
Sep 1, 2026 10:51 AM EST
C.J. Stroud Gets Another Downfield Weapon
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud got some needed help Monday after a rough week for the receiver room. New England has agreed to send Kayshon Boutte to Houston for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. The move comes days after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL and was lost for the season. Boutte is not replacing all of that by himself, but he gives Stroud another receiver who can stretch the field. He caught 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns last season, averaging 16.7 yards per catch with 10 receptions of at least 20 yards. Houston had already added Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard, so the Texans have clearly been trying to rebuild the depth behind Nico Collins. Stroud threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 14 games last year and currently sits at QB23 in RotoBaller's rankings. Boutte does not suddenly fix everything, but the passing-game outlook looks better than it did after Higgins went down.
Aug 24, 2026 11:17 AM EST
C.J. Stroud Poised for a Bounce-Back Season
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is eligible for a contract extension and has had a strong training camp, according to multiple accounts from Texans' camp. He led his team to a touchdown on his only drive of the team's second preseason game on Thursday night, completing four of his six pass attempts for 27 yards. While he didn't have the touchdown, he did a good job making smart decisions and guiding the offense into position to reach the end zone. Stroud has regressed in each of the last two seasons after his big rookie year, but he has the potential to bounce back in his second season under offensive coordinator Nick Caley. He'll need to find a strong second option behind Nico Collins after the season-ending injury to Jayden Higgins (knee), but if he does that, he'll have the potential to be a solid QB2 with upside. Coming into the year, he's No. 24 in RotoBaller's rankings.
Aug 21, 2026 9:03 AM EST
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