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

Wednesday, October 30, 6:25 PM

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (back/knee) was a DNP in practice on Wednesday due to back and knee injuries. Wednesday is often a rest day for veterans so Jackson's lack of participation is not concerning at this point. Providing further confidence in Jackson's ability to bounce back is the fact that he played so well in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns while showing no sign of a significant injury. Jackson threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns and added 46 yards on the ground. He posted a QBR of 80.3. Jackson has had an MVP-caliber season in 2024. He has thrown for 2,099 yards and 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He has added 501 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His QBR of 74.9 is the second-highest of his career. Fantasy managers who have been relying on that kind of production should monitor the Ravens' practice report on Thursday and Friday to ensure that Jackson logs some level of activity. As long as he retakes the field before the weekend, then his DNP on Wednesday should be a null point.

Wednesday, October 30, 4:30 PM

Bad luck and bad timing make Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud tough to start in one-QB formats on Thursday against the New York Jets. Despite the Jets being dysfunctional, even for them, they rank second in the NFL in yards after catch allowed and tied for third with six passing touchdowns surrendered in eight games. New York boasts two excellent coverage corners in Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, and Houston will face them when top wide receivers Nico Collins (hamstring) and Stefon Diggs (knee) are on injured reserve. Backup wide receivers, a short week, and a bad matchup is a lot to dislike, so fantasy managers should strongly consider their other options in Week 9.