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

Friday, October 10, 10:01 AM

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Wednesday that veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, whom the team acquired in a trade from the division-rival Cleveland Browns, will make his debut and start on Sunday at the Green Bay Packers in Week 6. This will now be the second time this season Flacco will go up against this Packer defense, but this time with a different team in Ohio. For the most part, Flacco has not played well enough in 2025 to be rostered in any league formats, averaging 7.9 fantasy points per game, and has no rushing upside; however, the playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, primarily Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, are much more explosive and proven in the NFL than the pass-catchers Flacco was throwing to for the Browns. Regardless, the offensive line for the Bengals is a mess, and Flacco is nothing more than a stash in superflex or two-quarterback leagues for now.

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.