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

Tuesday, February 24, 6:44 AM

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that he's "confident" the team will get a contract extension done with quarterback Lamar Jackson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Ravens are looking to get something new done with Jackson since his salary cap hit will jump to $74.5 million for 2026 and 2027 after he signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension in April of 2023. The 29-year-old two-time MVP only played in 13 games in 2025 due to injury and finished with a disappointing 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also had a career-low 67 rushing attempts for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson will need to bounce back for Baltimore to have a shot at returning to the postseason, and with better health in 2026, he could easily be back in the high-end QB1 tier for fantasy managers.

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.