Who Should I Start? Josh Allen or C.J. Stroud

Monday, September 15, 3:04 PM

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was a fantasy superstar in Week 1, but the reigning MVP fell short of expectations despite a 30-10 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. Allen wasn't especially sharp through the air, as he completed 14-of-25 passes for 148 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions, though he did contribute 59 rushing yards on six attempts. To the chagrin of fantasy managers, Allen didn't play the whole game. He missed two first-half snaps with a bloody nose, and with a blowout victory locked up in the fourth quarter, the Bills pulled Allen and let backup Mitchell Trubisky take over for the final eight minutes and change. After a letdown in Week 2, Allen could return to form on Thursday against the Miami Dolphins. The 29-year-old has feasted on the Dolphins throughout his career, having totaled 42 touchdowns (37 passing, five rushing) against eight interceptions in 14 games. Plus, so far this season, the Dolphins have allowed a league-worst 78.8 completion percentage and a lofty 126.1 passer rating in matchups against Daniel Jones and Drake Maye. The fact that those two lesser QBs carved up Miami bodes well for an Allen rebound in Week 3

Sunday, September 14, 6:08 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is hoping for a bounce-back season after a down year in 2024, but the new season didn't start well in the Texans' 14-9 loss to the Rams in Week 1. Stroud was limited to just 188 passing yards while completing 19-of-27 passes. He was under pressure from the Rams' strong pass rush most of the day and wasn't able to create enough big plays down the field. His interception came on a pass that was snatched out of the hands of his receiver, so it wasn't really on him. However, he didn't make enough big plays or lead any touchdown drives. Even with new offensive coordinator Nick Caley in command, the issues from last season were evident once again in Week 1. Stroud and the Texans will look to get on track against the Buccaneers in the first game of Monday Night Football's doubleheader, but with how rough the Texans' offense looked, it's hard to support Stroud as a QB1. In the RotoBaller rankings, he's QB17, making him a decent QB2 but a long shot to start in standard, single-QB leagues.