Who Should I Start? David Njoku or C.J. Stroud

Friday, January 3, 1:24 PM

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Cleveland Browns are placing running backs Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion) and tight end David Njoku (knee) on Injured Reserve, ending their season. All three players were previously ruled out for Sunday's game, and this move opens up additional roster spots for the Browns on Saturday. As a result, fantasy managers should expect D'Onta Foreman and John Kelly to see most of the snaps in the backfield on Saturday afternoon against the Baltimore Ravens. Jordan Akins will likely get the start at tight end. Ford opened the season as the starter with Nick Chubb sidelined and reclaimed that role for the past few weeks when Chubb's season ended due to a foot fracture. Njoku also batted injuries throughout the season but began to find his footing over his past five contests, averaging 15.4 PPR points. Foreman and Akins are viable plays in deeper formats this weekend and are high-floor options in DFS.

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.