Who Should I Start? Marquise Brown or C.J. Stroud


Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts. Rush. Yds. Rush TD Rec. Rec. Yds. Rec TD
13.0 0.0 0.0 5.1 55.9 0.4

Marquise Brown News

Marquise Brown With Tough Matchup On Christmas

Wednesday, December 24, 4:30 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown will face the Denver Broncos on Christmas Day in Week 17. Brown caught three passes for 22 yards on three targets in last week's loss to the Tennessee Titans. With Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton placed on IR, Brown's role in the passing attack should increase. The veteran receiver should be more involved, but with Chris Oladokun operating as the Chiefs QB1, Brown's upside could be severely capped. Brown will also have to deal with a Denver Broncos defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. Brown is ranked WR79 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a difficult player to start in any league regardless of depth or format.


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.


Marquise Brown vs. C.J. Stroud

Still trying to decide between Brown and Stroud? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Marquise Brown is projected to score 13.0 points this week while C.J. Stroud is projected to score 18.2 points.