Who Should I Start? C.J. Stroud or Cam Ward


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
22.7 12.8 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

C.J. Stroud News

C.J. Stroud Unlikely to Open 2026 Season With a New Deal

Wednesday, September 2, 9:30 AM

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.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
21.3 10.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Cam Ward News

Robert Saleh is Convinced Cam Ward Will Turn it Around

Friday, September 4, 12:31 PM

Tennessee Titans new head coach Robert Saleh is convinced that new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will help quarterback Cam Ward improve in his second season in the NFL, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. "This kid's not going to fail," Saleh said. "Obviously, I put my job on that one, but he's not going to fail. He's special." Ward did little to impress anyone in two preseason games, but he looked much better in joint practices against the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. Last year's first overall pick, Ward finished his rookie campaign with 3,169 passing yards (17th), 15 touchdowns (25th), and seven interceptions (tied for 10th-most), but he showed improvement in his final five games, throwing eight TDs and just one interception. "I have a lot of confidence in this young man," Daboll said. The new coaching staff is not looking to tweak Ward's throwing motion, but they are putting an emphasis on his decision-making, encouraging him to take what the defense is giving him while also looking for opportunities to make chunk gains down the field. With the offseason additions of receivers Wan'Dale Robinson and rookie Carnell Tate, Ward will have more help in the passing game. The jury is still out on Ward as he heads into Year 2, but with a better supporting cast of coaches and receivers, he is trending up in superflex fantasy leagues as a low-end QB2 option with upside in 2026.


C.J. Stroud vs. Cam Ward

Still trying to decide between Stroud and Ward? 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 22.7 points this week while Cam Ward is projected to score 21.3 points.