Who Should I Start? Justin Fields or C.J. Stroud

Saturday, August 30, 10:24 PM

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract during the offseason. The signal-caller has had his share of ups and downs throughout his career thus far. However, Jets general manager Darren Mougey appears to have confidence in the 2021 No. 11 overall pick. "I do believe Justin can be one of those guys," said Mougey during a recent interview. "I've seen progress during this camp and look forward to seeing the progress throughout the season as they all come together." Fields spent his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears before suiting up for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. In 50 regular-season contests, he's thrown for 7,780 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 31 picks while completing only 61.1% of his attempts. Although his accuracy hasn't been the best, he's at least made up for it by finding the end zone 19 times on the run. With that said, Fields should be considered a starting fantasy option in two-QB formats. On the other hand, he has a way to go before earning a routine spot in 12-team fantasy lineups, especially since it may take him time to get acclimated to his new squad.

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. .