Who Should I Start? C.J. Stroud or Marvin Mims Jr.

Monday, August 18, 8:49 AM

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.

Sunday, August 10, 12:41 AM

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. notably participated in all three series with the first-string offense during Saturday's 30-9 win against the San Francisco 49ers. Mims Jr. and the rest of the starters played into the second quarter in their preseason debut, and it likely would have been just two opportunities if their second possession didn't end in an intentional grounding-induced safety. The 23-year-old pulled in his lone target for a gain of three yards, which is negligible primarily, as the real story here is that he left the field, while fellow wideouts Pat Bryant, Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin finished out the half. That Mims Jr. is locked in as the team's No. 2 pass-catcher isn't set in stone, but he seems to be at least leading the rest of the pack at this point. He's currently an afterthought in drafts, selected just inside the top 300.