Who Should I Start? Dalton Schultz or C.J. Stroud

Tuesday, January 6, 1:07 AM

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz has had a strong season, catching a career-high 82 passes (106 targets) for 777 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. Schultz posted 10 games with at least five receptions this season, tied with Jake Ferguson for the second-most among tight ends, trailing only Trey McBride, who had 16. The 29-year-old should be in line for another busy day as the No. 2 target behind receiver Nico Collins in the Wild-Card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have allowed the fourth-most catches (6.3) and third-most receiving yards (66.8) to tight ends this season. Schultz has a projectable floor for receptions and will remain a solid TE1 option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.

Tuesday, January 6, 12:34 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud rested in the second half of the season finale versus the Colts after completing 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Once it was known that the Jaguars were up big in their game against the Titans, thus eliminating the Texans from winning the division, the team decided to give Stroud the rest of the day off with a playoff spot already locked up. Houston will travel on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild-Card round. The 24-year-old signal-caller has had another solid season, completing a career-high 64.5% of his passes for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while adding 48 carries for 209 yards and another score on the ground in 14 games. The Ohio State product has posted 7.0 yards per attempt or higher in 10 of 14 games this season. The Steelers sit in the middle of the pack against the pass in most metrics, ranking 14th in net yards per pass attempt (6.3) and 16th in dropback EPA (0.060). Stroud and the Texans may need to air it out more often Monday night, with how dominant Pittsburgh has been against the run recently, allowing a league-low 73.3 rushing yards per game over the final four weeks. In one career game versus Pittsburgh in Week 4 of the 2023 season, Stroud threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns, posting the second-highest yards per attempt (10.2) in a game of his career. Stroud projects as a quality option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues and can be trusted as a borderline QB1/QB2.