Who Should I Start? Kyler Murray or C.J. Stroud


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
22.0 26.4 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kyler Murray News

Kyler Murray, Justin Jefferson Showing Strong Chemistry

Thursday, August 13, 9:28 AM

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Justin Jefferson have given the offense some encouraging signs during training camp. MLFootball said the two have "looked elite together," and there have been several plays to back up the growing chemistry. Earlier in camp, Murray gave Jefferson a chance on a deep ball into double coverage during a two-minute drill, and Jefferson went up between two defenders before taking it into the end zone. Murray also found him for about 20 yards on a high-pointed curl Tuesday, the same day he was officially named Minnesota's starting quarterback. Jefferson is coming off a down year by his standards, finishing 2025 with 84 catches for 1,048 yards and only two touchdowns. Murray played just five games for Arizona last season before a foot injury ended his year. There is a long way to go before camp connections mean anything on Sundays, but Murray and Jefferson getting comfortable with each other this quickly is a good start.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
21.4 13.5 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

C.J. Stroud News

C.J. Stroud, Other Texans Starters Won't Play on Thursday

Thursday, August 13, 2:19 PM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and other key offensive starters like running backs David Montgomery and Woody Marks and wide receiver Nico Collins will not play in the team's preseason opener on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, league sources told Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 AM. With Stroud sitting, Davis Mills and Graham Mertz will take the snaps under center. The Texans will be short-handed at the RB position with Jawhar Jordan (hip) and British Brooks (hand) also out with injuries, meaning Noah Whittington, Josh Pitsenberger, and Owen Wright should handle the backfield duties against the Bolts. The 24-year-old Stroud took another step back in 2025 in his third year in the NFL after an impressive rookie season. The former second overall pick from Ohio State completed a career-high 64.5% of his pass attempts last year, but he threw for a career-low 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 regular-season starts. Stroud will certainly be motivated to deliver if he wants the Texans to seriously consider giving him a long-term extension in the future. Fantasy managers should treat him as a low-end QB2 with bounce-back potential.


Kyler Murray vs. C.J. Stroud

Still trying to decide between Murray and Stroud? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kyler Murray is projected to score 22.0 points this week while C.J. Stroud is projected to score 21.4 points.