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

Sunday, August 24, 7:04 AM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco completed nine of his 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in a 19-17 preseason win over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. Flacco got the start and played into the second quarter, finding tight end Harold Fannin Jr. for a 15-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. Making his only appearance of the preseason, Flacco has already been named the Browns' starting quarterback heading into Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He settles in as a high-end QB3 in fantasy heading into drafts as the Cleveland offense is not expected to be very explosive this season.

Friday, August 29, 9:57 PM

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the Houston Texans have been "encouraged with the new group that is charged with protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud." Houston traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders during the offseason. Fortunately, Aireontae Ersery "has gotten off to a strong start to pace" the team's revamped protection unit. Houston's offensive line was among the worst in the National Football League in 2024. While the latest update from Howe is encouraging, things must change drastically or Stroud could continue to suffer. The signal-caller took a step back in his sophomore campaign, finishing by throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 picks. He also failed to find the end zone on the run after doing so three times in 2023. With that said, wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) isn't expected back anytime soon, and Stefon Diggs is now a New England Patriot. As a result, Stroud may not be the safest fantasy quarterback compared to some, although he is still worth starting in most formats, assuming his production doesn't decrease even more moving forward. .