Who Should I Start? Lamar Jackson or C.J. Stroud


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
21.5 42.1 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0

Lamar Jackson News

Ravens Still Hopeful They Can Reach Extension With Lamar Jackson

Wednesday, March 11, 4:23 PM

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said that they and quarterback Lamar Jackson ran out of time to get a long-term extension done, but he added that the Ravens are "still hopeful to reach an agreement," according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The 29-year-old two-time MVP serves as his own agent, which makes things more difficult for the organization. Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract with Baltimore in April of 2023 and restructured his contract on Wednesday to give the Ravens some extra salary cap space to make moves this offseason. Without an extension, Jackson can be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season. He battled through injuries and was a disappointment for fantasy managers last year who took him as a high-end QB1, but Jackson is still one of the most dynamic dual-threat QBs in the game and is tied with Aaron Rodgers for the best passer rating (102.2) in NFL history. He also has the record for most career rushing yards (6,522) by a QB.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.2 9.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

C.J. Stroud News

Texans Sticking With C.J. Stroud as Their Starting QB

Tuesday, February 24, 7:36 AM

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said that any talk about trading quarterback C.J. Stroud is "moronic," according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Caserio said that Stroud will be the team's starting QB in 2026. Stroud was a Pro Bowler in his rookie campaign in 2023, but he has regressed each of the last two seasons. The 24-year-old former second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 regular-season games in 2025 to finish as the QB21 in overall fantasy points. He was much worse in two playoff games, going 41-for-79 passing for 462 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also lost two fumbles. The one positive takeaway from 2025 is that Stroud had a career-high completion percentage. He's still young enough to bounce back, but fantasy managers shouldn't feel comfortable rolling with him as their QB1 in 2026.


Lamar Jackson vs. C.J. Stroud

Still trying to decide between Jackson and Stroud? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Lamar Jackson is projected to score 21.5 points this week while C.J. Stroud is projected to score 18.2 points.