Should I Start C.J. Stroud?

Saturday, October 3, 5:43 AM

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.