Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or C.J. Stroud

Tuesday, February 17, 11:51 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers impending free-agent wide receiver Mike Evans will play in 2026, agents Deryk Gilmore and Darren Jones told Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN. Evans will return for a 13th season after an injury-plagued 2025 campaign that limited him to a career-low eight games, but Martin also reports that the 32-year-old future Hall of Famer will explore his options in free agency. It's not a foregone conclusion that Evans will return to play in Tampa in 2026, although if he does sign with another organization, it will almost certainly be a team with Super Bowl aspirations. A broken collarbone prevented the former first-rounder from reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the 12th straight year. When healthy, Evans caught 30 of his 62 targets for 368 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. Evans can still be productive when healthy, but depending on where he lands in free agency, he may not be a lock as a WR1 as he nears the end of his illustrious career.

Friday, February 13, 8:42 AM

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud took another step backward in 2025, completing 64.5% of his passes for 3,014 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 14 regular-season games. He was also tripped up in the playoffs. Houston took down Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round, but then, Stroud threw four interceptions on a 42.6% completion rate in the Texans' elimination against the Patriots. Stroud was the overall QB11 despite missing two games as a rookie in 2023, but he fell to QB18 in 2024 and QB21 in 2025. The former No. 2 pick is still expected to have his fifth-year option picked up, but he needs to re-find his rookie form and prove that he's worthy of being the Texans' franchise quarterback long-term. He certainly has the weapons needed to produce; Nico Collins is a budding superstar, Dalton Schultz took major strides last season, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins had big rookie seasons, and Tank Dell (knee) is presumably nearing a return. Stroud is worth holding in dynasty leagues right now, but he's a bit too risky to "buy low."