Who Should I Start? Jared Goff or C.J. Stroud

Wednesday, December 24, 8:16 PM

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has played solid football all season long, completing 68.6% of his pass attempts for 4,036 yards, 32 touchdowns, and five interceptions across 15 games. Goff's production has ramped up to another level in recent weeks, as he's attempted 129 passes and thrown for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception over his last three games. However, Goff and the Lions will face a very difficult matchup in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings. Entering the week, Minnesota ranks second in the NFL in total passing yards allowed (2,790) and tied for second in passing touchdowns allowed (14). In their Week 16 win over the New York Giants, the Vikings allowed Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart to throw for just 33 yards on 13 pass attempts. In his first matchup of 2025 against Minnesota in Week 9, Goff was sacked a season-high five times. Fantasy managers in single-quarterback formats may want to avoid Goff if possible in Week 17.

Friday, December 26, 8:20 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is in a tough matchup on Saturday afternoon against the Chargers, but he has shown enough momentum to still be a strong option in two-QB formats or in deep leagues this week. Stroud only threw for 187 yards and a touchdown last week in a narrow win over the Raiders, but he looked much better with 260 yards and three touchdowns the previous week against the Cardinals. Stroud has led his team to four straight wins since returning from a concussion, and the Texans have won seven straight overall to put themselves in a prime position to make the playoffs. While defense and a conservative offensive strategy have been the main reasons for their success, Stroud has shown enough play-making upside to still be the No. 17 QB in RotoBaller's rankings this week, making him a solid QB2.