Who Should I Start? C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young

Saturday, December 20, 8:04 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has helped the Texans to six straight wins and is coming off one of his best games of the season. He'll look to keep rolling in a favorable spot against the visiting Raiders on Sunday in the late wave of games. Stroud threw for three touchdowns and 260 yards last week against the Cardinals and has posted over 250 passing yards in three of his last four full games (not counting his early exit due to a concussion). Stroud is up to 15 touchdowns on the season, and he's been especially sharp at home with eight touchdowns and just one interception. The Texans' backfield is banged up with both Woody Marks (ankle) and Nick Chubb (ribs) questionable for this contest, so Stroud may have to pass a little more even if the Texans play from ahead. In this favorable spot, Stroud is ranked the No. 13 QB in RotoBaller's Week 16 rankings, making him a great start in two-QB leagues but a low-end option in single-quarterback formats.

Saturday, December 20, 11:20 AM

Bryce Young has not produced ideal fantasy numbers this season, but he has a great matchup in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 15 against the Saints, Young completed 15-of-24 attempts for 163 yards and a touchdown. He also had a season-high 49 rushing yards on seven carries, totaling 15.4 fantasy points. The Carolina QB has registered more than 15.0 fantasy points in three of his last four starts. He has averaged 14.2 Fantasy Points Per Game in 13 games played this season. He has a good shot of playing above his usual 14 to 15 point range this week, though. Tampa Bay ranks 30th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to QBs this season. Last week, Atlanta QB Kirk Cousins finished as the fantasy QB3 overall. He totaled 26.9 fantasy points against the Buccaneers. Week 15 was the fifth straight week where Tampa Bay allowed a top-10 fantasy QB finish. Despite Young's mediocre and inconsistent production this year, the matchup against Tampa Bay makes him a quality QB2 starter for fantasy football playoff teams in superflex formats. The NFC South lead is on the line, and Young may have to throw often to keep pace with Baker Mayfield.