C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans
Quarterback #7
Houston Texans
Quarterback #7

C.J. Stroud News RotoBaller

C.J. Stroud Is a Fringe QB2 in a Tough Matchup

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has shown positive signs in several of his last few games, with multiple touchdowns in three of his last four games. However, this week, he and the Texans have a tough matchup against the Broncos, who have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Stroud will get some help, though, with both Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) set to return to the lineup. This could be a statement game for the Texans, who are looking to climb back into the playoff race after their 0-3 start. Stroud led them to a 26-15 win last week against the 49ers, throwing for a season-high 318 passing yards despite being without Collins and Kirk. While he has a high ceiling, the matchup makes him high-risk, which is why he's only the QB22 in RotoBaller's Week 9 rankings.

Oct 31, 2025 8:54 PM EST


C.J. Stroud's Pass Volume is Trending Upwards in Recent Weeks

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has played some of his best football in recent weeks. Across his team's last three games, Stroud has thrown for 791 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. Perhaps most importantly for his fantasy outlook, Stroud has attempted 88 passes over his last two games alone. That marks a notable shift in the Houston offense, as Stroud cracked 28 pass attempts just once over his first five games. If the Texans' game plan on offense is shifting to a more pass-heavy approach, Stroud could be a more viable streaming option for fantasy managers in single-quarterback formats going forward. Houston has a difficult matchup in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos, so Stroud may not be a player to target specifically for this week. However, his uptick in pass attempts is still a trend worth monitoring for fantasy managers as the Texans hit the second half of their season.

Oct 28, 2025 11:59 AM EST



C.J. Stroud Sets New Season-High in Passing Yards on Sunday

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 30 of his 39 pass attempts for 319 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 8 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He also rushed for 30 yards on seven rushing attempts. Outside of the one turnover, Stroud had a very strong performance, setting a new season-high in passing yards while leading Houston to a victory at home. The 24-year-old has been playing better lately, amassing nine touchdowns and two turnovers over his last four games. He ranks as the overall QB9 in fantasy points per game during that span. Managers should be generally optimistic about Stroud going forward, but he might rank outside the top 12 fantasy quarterbacks in Week 9 against a Broncos defense that just dismantled Dak Prescott.

Oct 27, 2025 12:23 AM EST


C.J. Stroud Is a Borderline QB2 vs. San Francisco

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a monster game before the team's bye week, but he struggled against the Seahawks on Monday night and will be without key pass-catchers in Week 8. Both Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) are out, so Stroud will be forced to be creative and rely on less proven options. The Texans' offense looked to be headed the right way before their bye week, and Stroud racked up six touchdown passes and no interceptions in big wins over the Titans and Ravens. In his return after 15 days off, though, he completed just 23-of-49 pass attempts for 229 yards, a touchdown, and an interception on the road in Seattle. He'll look to get back on track against a tough San Francisco defense that ranks in the middle of the pack against quarterbacks but effectively shut down the Falcons and Michael Penix Jr. last week. In this home matchup, Stroud is the No. 21 QB in RotoBaller's rankings, meaning he shouldn't be started in single-quarterback leagues and is a fringe QB2 in this matchup.

Oct 25, 2025 9:07 AM EST


C.J. Stroud Struggles to Be Efficient in Week 7 Loss

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had one of the least efficient games of his career in his team's 27-19 Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Stroud completed just 23 of 49 pass attempts for 229 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Across six games this season, the 24-year-old has completed 64.8% of his pass attempts for 1,305 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions. Houston struggled mightily to run the ball in Week 7, as Stroud was the team's leading rusher with just 25 yards. The Texans' overall offensive inefficiency makes Stroud tough for fantasy managers in single-QB formats to trust. Stroud will likely profile as a mid-tier fantasy QB2 in Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Oct 21, 2025 11:20 AM EST



C.J. Stroud Looks to Build on Monster Week 5

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud went into his Week 6 bye week with immaculate vibes after throwing for 244 yards and four touchdowns in a 44-10 rout of the Ravens. He seemed to be making strides in new offensive coordinator Nick Caley's system, and he'll look to carry over that momentum to a tough Monday Night Football matchup against the Seahawks. Stroud threw for progressively more yards and increasing touchdowns leading up to that big game, when he completed 23 of his 27 pass attempts and looked dominant. He's only the QB18 in RotoBaller's rankings this week, though, since the Seahawks will present a formidable road challenge for the Ohio State alum. He's an excellent second QB in deep leagues, and he'll be out to prove that his two big games before the bye were the start of a positive trend.

Oct 18, 2025 5:10 PM EST


C.J. Stroud's Four Touchdowns Lead Texans to Huge Week 5 Win

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 27 pass attempts for 244 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 5 win over the Baltimore Ravens. He also broke off a 30-yard rush and took two sacks. The former No. 2 pick showed flashes of his rookie self as the Texans took advantage of an injury-riddled Ravens defense. Stroud set his season high in completion rate, passing yards, and passing touchdowns along the way. This was a very soft matchup for the young quarterback, so Sunday's result doesn't necessarily mean he's back to being a high-end QB1 every week. However, at the very least, the big game should give him some confidence going forward and give the Texans something to build off of and learn from. Houston has a Week 6 bye, which means they'll have an extra week to figure out what went right as they develop their game plan for Week 7 against Seattle.

Oct 5, 2025 5:35 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Looking to Build on Last Week's Win

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud got his team their first win of the season last week over the Titans, and he'll look to make it two in a row on Sunday afternoon when they host the banged-up Ravens. He finished last week with 233 passing yards and two touchdowns, both in the second half of his team's 26-0 win over the Titans. The Ravens have been very generous to opposing quarterbacks, allowing the third-most fantasy points in the NFL to the position. Opposing QBs have 11 total touchdowns and an average of over 270 passing yards per week against Baltimore, and that favorable matchup is enough to boost Stroud to the QB19 this week despite his uneven results so far this season. He's a solid second QB this week, or he can even be a dart throw play if your top QB is on a bye in deep leagues.

Oct 4, 2025 9:32 AM EST


C.J. Stroud Becoming More Comfortable in Offense

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud helped his team get their first win of the season in Week 4 by trouncing the hapless Titans, 26-0. It could be more than just a win, though, since it could signify a major step forward for Stroud, according to Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle. Warren points specifically to Stroud's audible and adjustment on his 24-yard touchdown strike to rookie Jayden Higgins as a potential breakthrough moment for the young QB in the system of new offensive coordinator Nick Caley. The Texans lost three straight games by one score to the Rams, Bucs, and Jags to start the season before rolling over the Titans. With their defense playing so well, the offense only has to improve a little bit to start piling up wins. Stroud struggled in the first three games of the season but looked better against the Titans. How much of that was the opponent? We'll start to get our answer in Week 5, since Stroud and the Texans head to Baltimore for a tough road matchup on Sunday before their bye week in Week 6.

Sep 30, 2025 9:57 AM EST


C.J. Stroud a Strong QB2 in Week 4

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will look to get the offense in gear in a favorable matchup in Week 4 against the Titans. Stroud and the Texans have slipped to 0-3 coming into Sunday's matchup with the 0-3 Titans. The offense has seemed stuck in neutral under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, ranking 29th in the NFL in yards per game at 267.3. and 25th in the league with 172.3 passing yards per game. Stroud has thrown for right around 200 yards in each game with a total of two touchdowns and three interceptions. The offensive line is definitely part of the problem, but Stroud has also struggled. Facing the Titans could be a nice "get right" spot for Stroud. The Titans rank 25th in the league in DVOA against the pass and have allowed 31.3 points per game, the third-highest mark in the league. Stroud is the QB17 in RotoBaller's Week 4 rankings, making him a strong QB2 play in the matchup, even though he's still not a good option at all for single-quarterback leagues.

Sep 26, 2025 7:24 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Only a Fringe QB2 Against the Jaguars

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will look to get his team their first win of the season in Week 3 as they visit the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. Last Monday, Stroud completed 13-of-24 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown in the Texans' one-point loss to the Bucs. Stroud's touchdown pass came to Nico Collins on the first drive of the game, but the team struggled to move the ball after that. Stroud's main challenges have been the lack of protection from the patchwork offensive line and a lack of depth at wide receiver behind Collins. Maybe with Christian Kirk (hamstring) back in the rotation, Stroud can get rolling against the Jags, who rank in the middle of the pack against quarterbacks so far this season. RotoBaller has Stroud as the QB22 in this matchup due to his offense's struggles, which limits him to a low-end QB2 option in two-QB leagues.

Sep 19, 2025 8:34 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Looks to Help the Texans Bounce Back vs. the Buccaneers

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is hoping for a bounce-back season after a down year in 2024, but the new season didn't start well in the Texans' 14-9 loss to the Rams in Week 1. Stroud was limited to just 188 passing yards while completing 19-of-27 passes. He was under pressure from the Rams' strong pass rush most of the day and wasn't able to create enough big plays down the field. His interception came on a pass that was snatched out of the hands of his receiver, so it wasn't really on him. However, he didn't make enough big plays or lead any touchdown drives. Even with new offensive coordinator Nick Caley in command, the issues from last season were evident once again in Week 1. Stroud and the Texans will look to get on track against the Buccaneers in the first game of Monday Night Football's doubleheader, but with how rough the Texans' offense looked, it's hard to support Stroud as a QB1. In the RotoBaller rankings, he's QB17, making him a decent QB2 but a long shot to start in standard, single-QB leagues.

Sep 14, 2025 6:08 AM EST


C.J. Stroud Starts the Season as a Strong QB2

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud opens the season in Los Angeles against the Rams on Sunday afternoon, as he looks to start a bounce-back season. He took a step backwards last season after throwing for 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 games as a rookie. He finished with 3,727 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 17 games last year, while leading the Texans to a second straight AFC South title. He has a new Offensive Coordinator in Nick Caley, and the new system puts more responsibility on the quarterback at the line of scrimmage. Stroud is the QB16 this week against the Rams, who allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks last season. Stroud will be without Christian Kirk (hamstring), so he'll be working with an unproven group of receivers aside from his elite receiver option, Nico Collins. He's a strong QB2 with boom or bust upside in Week 1.

Sep 5, 2025 9:37 PM EST


Texans Pleased with New Squad "Charged" with Protecting C.J. Stroud

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the Houston Texans have been "encouraged with the new group that is charged with protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud." Houston traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders during the offseason. Fortunately, Aireontae Ersery "has gotten off to a strong start to pace" the team's revamped protection unit. Houston's offensive line was among the worst in the National Football League in 2024. While the latest update from Howe is encouraging, things must change drastically or Stroud could continue to suffer. The signal-caller took a step back in his sophomore campaign, finishing by throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 picks. He also failed to find the end zone on the run after doing so three times in 2023. With that said, wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) isn't expected back anytime soon, and Stefon Diggs is now a New England Patriot. As a result, Stroud may not be the safest fantasy quarterback compared to some, although he is still worth starting in most formats, assuming his production doesn't decrease even more moving forward. .

Aug 29, 2025 9:57 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Sits Out of Preseason Finale

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is not playing in the team's preseason finale on Saturday against the Detroit Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Other starters that will sit out include running back Nich Chubb, receivers Nico Collins and Christian Kirk and tight end Dalton Schultz. Stroud and the rest of Houston's offense will be looking to get off on the right foot in a Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Sept. 7. The 23-year-old Stroud has enough pass-catchers to rebound from a frustrating 2024 campaign, but it will all depend on how well Houston's offensive line holds up after he took a whopping 52 sacks in 17 regular-season starts last year. The former first-rounder threw for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 picks in 2024 and is currently ranked as the QB19 in fantasy going into Year 3.

Aug 23, 2025 1:17 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Looks Sharp in Preseason Debut against the Panthers

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud played just two series on Saturday against Carolina, but he looked sharp, completing 6-of-8 pass attempts for 44 passing yards and a touchdown to Nico Collins. He wasn't satisfied with his preseason debut, though, expressing frustration that he missed Collins on a deep ball on the team's first possession, which ended in a punt. Stroud only played two series, but did enough to put his Texans ahead in a game they went on to win 20-3. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, Stroud struggled a little bit last season, throwing for 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns but also throwing 12 interceptions. With new offensive coordinator Nick Caley taking over from Bobby Slowik, Stroud will look to bounce back and be a fantasy factor again this season. He's a QB2 with upside coming into the season, but he has the potential to be a borderline QB1 if he can return to his 2023 form with better protection than he had last year.

Aug 18, 2025 8:49 AM EST


C.J. Stroud, Several Starters to Play Against Panthers

The Houston Texans will play several starters on Saturday in their second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, including quarterback C.J. Stroud, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Wide receiver Nico Collins will also get a few series on offense with Stroud this weekend, while running back Dameon Pierce will be held out. This will be Stroud's first preseason action this summer after he sat out of the opener last week against the Minnesota Vikings. The 23-year-old took a step back in 2024 in his sophomore season, throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while being sacked 52 times in 17 regular-season starts. Stroud showed in his rookie campaign that he can put up numbers, but a bounce-back in 2025 will depend on whether his offensive line can protect him. Treat him as a low-end QB2 in fantasy with upside.

Aug 16, 2025 1:31 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Working on Speed, Pocket Mobility Entering Year 3

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a sophomore slump following his fantastic rookie season in 2023 out of Ohio State. After throwing for more than 4,100 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 games in Year 1, he regressed to just over 3,700 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 picks in Year 2. Entering 2025 in what could set him up for a lucrative contract extension, Stroud has trained hard to improve his physical fitness. "I've been working really hard on getting my body right -- losing body fat, trying to be faster, stronger," Stroud said. "And it went really well. ... [Working] pocket mobility, running out the pocket, throwing the rock. Everything kind of works hand in hand." Last season, Houston's offensive line struggled mightily, and Stroud was sacked 63 times, good for the second-most in the NFL behind only Caleb Williams (68). The offensive line could remain an issue after the team traded away franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil, but sacks are often largely a quarterback stat, too. If Stroud can become more dynamic operating inside and outside of the pocket, it could create more downfield opportunities for pass-catchers Nico Collins, Christian Kirk, and Jayden Higgins, among others.

Jul 16, 2025 2:47 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Could Sign Multi-Year Deal Before 2026 Season

If Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has a strong 2025 season, it's more likely that the team will work out a multi-year contract extension with him before the start of the 2026 campaign, writes The Athletic's Mike Jones. Stroud took the league by storm in 2023 as a rookie but regressed last year because of poor offensive line play and struggles by then-offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. If Stroud and the Texans offense are able to rebound in 2025, Jones thinks that Stroud could follow San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy as the next signal-caller to get a five-year, $250 million-plus contract. Given Stroud and the offense's struggles in 2024, RotoBaller now has him ranked as the No. 20 fantasy QB going into the 2025 campaign. The Texans remade their O-line, but there's no guarantee it will be better and give Stroud more time to find his weapons.

Jul 11, 2025 12:32 PM EST


C.J. Stroud Throwing at Mandatory Minicamp

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (shoulder) was throwing during mandatory minicamp on Tuesday as he continues to get over muscle tightness in his shoulder that he dealt with during voluntary organized team activities recently, according to KPRC 2 Houston's Aaron Wilson. It's not a surprise that Stroud is out there this week after head coach DeMeco Ryans said during OTAs that he wasn't really concerned with the QB's shoulder. The 23-year-old former first-rounder was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 but took a step back in 2024, throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while taking 52 sacks in 17 regular-season starts. A porous offensive line and knee injuries to Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell didn't help his cause as he finished as the QB18 in fantasy. Houston's offense line is going to have to be much better for Stroud to rebound in 2025.

Jun 10, 2025 12:10 PM EST