Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford or C.J. Stroud

Monday, March 3, 5:59 PM

By agreeing to a contract restructure last Friday with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams were able to stay on year-to-year terms with the veteran signal-caller. The adjusted contract will be structured under his existing framework that runs through 2026, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodriguez. No new years were added, so both sides expect to revisit the matter again next offseason. The specific dollar amount of the adjusted contract are unknown, but Stafford surely receives a double-digit raise from the existing $27 million he was scheduled to be paid in 2025. "We're taking it a year at a time," head coach Sean McVay said. Rodrigue also adds that despite keeping Stafford for this year, the Rams will look to the future at the position. For fantasy purposes, although Stafford almost led L.A. to the NFC Championship, he should be considered a midrange QB2.

Monday, April 21, 7:07 PM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said he'll be "taking full ownership, running the show" in new offensive coordinator Nick Calley's system and appreciates how Calley is already putting trust in him. Stroud didn't look at all like a rookie in 2023 under previous offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, but he came back down to Earth a bit in 2024 in his sophomore campaign and finished as the QB17 in fantasy while throwing for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 regular-season games. Protection was the biggest issue, as the former second overall pick took a whopping 52 sacks in 2024 after being sacked 38 times in 15 regular-season games as a rookie. Stroud could be more effective again with more control of the offense, particularly before the snap, leaving him as a fine midrange QB1 bounce-back target in fantasy.