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

Tuesday, January 6, 1:40 PM

When asked if quarterback Justin Fields would be back with the team in 2026, New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said, "He's under contract," according to Antwan V. Staley of the New York Daily News. The Jets brought Fields in as a free agent last offseason to be their starter under center, but the plan backfired. Fields, a former first-rounder, went 2-7 as a starter and was eventually benched for veteran backup Tyrod Taylor late in the season. The 26-year-old ended the season on Injured Reserve with a knee injury. Fields limited turnovers, but he completed 62.7% of his pass attempts for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. He also didn't run very much, carrying the ball 71 times for 383 yards and four TDs. At best, Fields will likely be competing for a starting role if he stays with the Jets in the second year of his two-year, $40 million deal.

Monday, January 12, 3:00 PM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud averaged 234 passing yards per game in his five full starts since returning from the mid-season concussion that cost him three games. In that time, he threw six touchdowns to two interceptions while adding 169 yards and a score in a Week 18 win over the Colts that saw most of the team's starters pulled early. On Monday night, the Texans travel to Pittsburgh to face a Steelers defense that ranked 30th out of 32 teams against fantasy quarterbacks in the regular season. While Stroud doesn't offer the ceiling of some of the other quarterbacks in the playoff field, he is a smart, reliable passer with an underrated stable of pass catchers. He is RotoBaller's QB10 for the weekend, but given the plus-matchup, he makes for a smart start in any fantasy playoff format that allows players to be used only once.