Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow or C.J. Stroud

Sunday, September 21, 1:20 PM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) has officially undergone surgery and is hopeful to make a return around mid-December, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. For now, Cincinnati will turn to backup Jake Browning in Burrow's absence and hope to stay afloat in time to make a run at the NFL playoffs. Burrow's injury was a tough one for fantasy managers, who drafted the QB to be an every-week starter and didn't even get two full games. A return could happen within fantasy playoffs, but managers are going to have to lean on their bench or a trade in the meantime.

Sunday, October 5, 5:35 PM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 27 pass attempts for 244 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 5 win over the Baltimore Ravens. He also broke off a 30-yard rush and took two sacks. The former No. 2 pick showed flashes of his rookie self as the Texans took advantage of an injury-riddled Ravens defense. Stroud set his season high in completion rate, passing yards, and passing touchdowns along the way. This was a very soft matchup for the young quarterback, so Sunday's result doesn't necessarily mean he's back to being a high-end QB1 every week. However, at the very least, the big game should give him some confidence going forward and give the Texans something to build off of and learn from. Houston has a Week 6 bye, which means they'll have an extra week to figure out what went right as they develop their game plan for Week 7 against Seattle.