Who Should I Start? C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.4 | 13.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
C.J. Stroud News
Monday, August 17, 5:01 AM
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has enjoyed a solid training camp, but he reportedly took things to a whole new level on Sunday, at one point connecting on seven straight completions during competitive sessions. Acknowledging the gravity of his assessment, Texans analyst John Harris wrote, "This was one of the best overall offensive practices that I can ever remember, if not the best I've seen." After becoming only the fifth rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in 2023, Stroud has had two disappointing seasons, but with a healthy group of dynamic pass-catchers around him, he could surprise in 2026 with an ADP that has fallen to QB22. With the Texans boasting one of the league's premier defenses, Stroud will rarely be tasked with winning a shootout, lowering his potential ceiling. Still, he has the ability to stabilize a roster as a second quarterback in superflex leagues, and his performance against that vaunted defense on Sunday is a reminder of what he can do when everything is clicking.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.3 | 16.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Bryce Young News
Sunday, August 9, 8:19 AM
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that the starters, including quarterback Bryce Young, will play in the team's preseason game this week against the Buffalo Bills, according to Panthers reporter Kassidy Hill. Young and the starters should get around 10 to 20 plays, depending on how the drives develop. The 25-year-old Young didn't take part in the team's Hall of Fame game last Thursday against the Arizona Cardinals, so he'll see his first preseason action this week. The former first overall pick in 2023 from the University of Alabama had the best year of his career in his third season in 2025, completing 63.6% of his pass attempts for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 16 regular-season starts while leading the team to the NFC South title. However, it's debatable as to how much higher a ceiling Young has, especially since he doesn't have a big arm or very exciting targets outside of receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Young appears to be trending towards being a solid NFL starting QB, but for fantasy purposes, he's more of a low-end QB2 target with a low ceiling.
C.J. Stroud vs. Bryce Young
Still trying to decide between Stroud and Young? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that C.J. Stroud is projected to score 21.4 points this week while Bryce Young is projected to score 20.3 points.
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