C.J. Stroud Fantasy Stats

The Houston Texans' belief in quarterback C.J. Stroud as their franchise signal-caller remains strong, but the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the two sides are not close on a contract extension. Stroud had his fifth-year option picked up by Houston in April, and he has two years remaining on his rookie contract. Both sides seem comfortable kicking the can down the road as far as a contract extension, and Rapoport adds that the fact that extension talks are even happening backs up the Texans' position that Stroud is their unquestioned long-term plan at QB. The Texans probably are in no rush to lock up the 24-year-old former second overall pick in 2023 from Ohio State after he regressed in 2025 in his third year in the league, especially in the team's playoff loss to the New England Patriots. All reports are that Stroud is locked in and has made great strides towards a bounce-back in his fourth NFL season, but ultimately, his success in 2026 could come down to whether the offensive line can protect him. Stroud threw for 4,000-plus yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five picks in 15 regular-season starts as a rookie, so he has it in him. In two-QB superflex leagues, his lowered cost is enticing if you're betting on a bounce-back. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 23 fantasy QB, right behind Sam Darnold.

Since throwing for more than 4,100 yards and 23 touchdowns as a rookie in 2023, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has seen those numbers drop in each subsequent season, passing for only 3,041 yards and 19 scores in 2025. When the Texans kick off training camp on July 29, it will be the next opportunity for Stroud to put the ugly finish of last year behind him, having thrown four interceptions while completing less than 43% of his passes in a season-ending playoff loss to the Patriots. While he is no longer a player to target in 2026 drafts, a more cohesive offensive line and continued growth from a young group of wide receivers could allow Stroud to re-enter the streaming conversation and provide a steady and predictable fantasy floor. 2025 draft picks Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are expected to take more agency in the Texans' offense after each appearing in all 17 games as rookies, while the potential return of Tank Dell after a devastating 2024 leg injury would reunite Stroud with one of his favorite targets. At RotoBaller's QB23, Stroud is likely to begin the year on waivers in most single-quarterback redraft leagues, but an early-season schedule that includes games against the Bengals, Cowboys, and Titans could see him making an immediate, unexpected impact.

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley said that he has seen quarterback C.J. Stroud "take a leap this offseason," according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Caley sees a different comfort level from Stroud and said the communication between him and new quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski "has been good." "There was a lot of progress that C.J. and the offense made last year," Caley said. "We continued to get better from the start of the season to the end of the regular season and just continued to make progress from week to week. So we're going to continue to build on that. It's a new year. C.J. has done a great job out here. Looks good. Locked in." The 24-year-old took the league by storm after he was the second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in 15 regular-season starts. He hasn't been nearly as good the last two years, and he threw for a career-low 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight picks in 14 regular-season starts in 2025. Stroud has clear bounce-back potential and is still in the prime of his career, making him a low-end QB2 target in superflex leagues with sleeper potential in 2026.

Since bursting onto the fantasy scene as a rookie in 2023, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has struggled to live up to the hype. Across 14 games in 2025, the 24-year-old completed 64.5% of his pass attempts for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Stroud's fantasy upside is capped by his lack of rushing ability, as he's averaged 200 rushing yards per season in his NFL career and has four career rushing touchdowns. However, there may be reason to believe that 2026 can be his most efficient year as a passer since his rookie season. Houston made some key additions to its offensive line in the offseason, signing tackle Braden Smith and left guard Wyatt Teller in free agency and then using a first-round pick in the 2026 Draft on center Keylan Rutledge. The Texans should also get healthier seasons out of wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell (knee) and have a pair of exciting young wideouts in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Stroud may never emerge as a fantasy superstar, but he still offers dynasty managers some upside while providing a solid QB2 floor.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was once viewed as the QB2 in consensus dynasty rankings, fresh off an incredibly efficient 2023 rookie campaign in which he threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Following two disappointing seasons, and last seen in arguably the worst game of his career in a Divisional Round playoff loss to the Patriots, he has fallen to QB18 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. With the Texans exercising his fifth-year option back in April, Stroud will spend at least the next two seasons with a Houston team that has a strong enough surrounding cast to keep him fantasy relevant even without the safety of a rushing floor. Stroud has not topped 233 rushing yards through his first three years in the league, and with that type of immobility, his yearly fantasy finishes will be intrinsically linked to his touchdown totals. While he finished 2025 with only 19 passing touchdowns, he was on pace for more than 30 and was the fantasy QB14 through the first half of the year before a concussion knocked him out of a Week 9 loss to the Broncos and ultimately cost him three starts. While he is unlikely to ever return to top two dynasty status, Stroud's ceiling when things break right is still higher than his current ranking would suggest, and as a more than capable second quarterback in superflex leagues, he's become an undervalued trade target who has yet to turn 25.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has been locked in this offseason and is focused on ways to improve after a second straight disappointing campaign in 2025. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime reports that Stroud made a noticeable change to his diet to slim down this offseason, avoiding sugars and carbs. The Texans picked up Stroud's fifth-year option for the 2027 season, but 2026 will be a prove-it year to convince the team that he deserves a long-term extension. Photographs on Instagram that Stroud has shared in the weight room show a more shredded and slimmed-down version of himself. The former second overall pick out of Ohio State was a Pro Bowler in his first NFL season in 2023, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 regular-season starts, but he hasn't come close to those numbers the last two seasons, and he threw for a career-low 3,041 yards and 19 TDs in 2025. The 24-year-old hasn't always been helped by the offensive line in front of him, but he appears determined to turn things around, and a bounce-back campaign could be coming if second-year wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel can step up behind WR1 Nico Collins. Target Stroud as a QB2 with upside in fantasy drafts this fall.

Despite another disappointing season in 2025, the Houston Texans have had nothing but good things to say about quarterback C.J. Stroud this offseason, according to Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle. "C.J.'s done a really good job all offseason just continuing to be locked in, continuing to prepare the right way," head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Proud of the work that he's putting in right now." When CEO Cal McNair was asked about Stroud, he said, "We're fully committed to C.J." The Texans unsurprisingly picked up Stroud's fifth-year option for the 2027 season, so they now have two seasons to work out a potential long-term extension with the former second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State. The 24-year-old had career lows in passing yards (3,041) and passing touchdowns (19) in 14 regular-season games in 2025 in his third year in the NFL. It's now been two straight down years after his Pro Bowl season in his rookie campaign, and fantasy managers will be wondering if Stroud can ever get back to his rookie level, when he threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 regular-season starts. He's going to need both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to step up alongside Nico Collins, and having Tank Dell (knee) contribute will be big as well. For fantasy purposes, Stroud's dynasty stock is obviously down, but a bounce-back is entirely possible in 2026.

Since a historical 2023 rookie season in which he passed for 4,108 yards and threw 23 touchdowns to only five interceptions, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has seen his production and fantasy value drop year after year. Missing three games in 2025, he barely topped 3,000 passing yards, and his season-ending Divisional Round loss to the Patriots, in which he completed 42.6% of his passes while throwing four interceptions, has left a sour taste in the mouths of dynasty managers. Once charting in as high as QB2 in consensus dynasty rankings, Stroud now ranks as RotoBaller's QB18. The Texans exercised his fifth-year option in April, giving them two more years of team control before a long-term decision on his future will need to be made. Houston has spent the past two drafts building around its young signal-caller, first with receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in 2025, and then with offensive linemen Keylan Rutledge and Febechi Nwaiwu in 2026. With the expected return to health of one of his favorite targets from his rookie season, Tank Dell, the pieces are falling into place for Stroud to outperform his current value and level off as a dependable QB2.

The Houston Texans have exercised quarterback C.J. Stroud's fifth-year option for 2027. As a former first-round pick, Stroud's rookie contract came with a team option for a fifth year. He is now under contract for two more seasons and will make more than $25.9 million in 2027. Stroud was terrific as a rookie back in 2023, but he's coming off two relatively disappointing campaigns, as well as a six-quarter span in the 2025 playoffs during which he coughed up seven turnovers. Still, the low points haven't been bad enough for the Texans to begin searching for a new quarterback. They still view Stroud as a potential long-term solution, which is why they've committed to paying him through 2027. It will be interesting to see what happens after his rookie deal expires, though, as Stroud is currently scheduled to hit free agency prior to the 2028 season. His performance over the next two years will dictate how aggressive the Texans are in trying to extend him, as well as how much money he'll fetch in his next contract.

The Houston Texans exercised the 2027 fifth-year option on quarterback C.J. Stroud on Wednesday, a source told Field Yates of ESPN. Stroud is now due $25.904 million next season and is extension-eligible. Despite another disappointing season in 2025 in his third year in the league, the Texans remain committed to the former second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State. The 24-year-old signal-caller really impressed as a rookie, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in his 15 starts. However, he has come back down to Earth over the last two years, and Houston's porous offensive line hasn't helped his cause. In 14 regular-season starts in 2025, Stroud completed a career-high 64.5% of his pass attempts, but that led to a career-low 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight picks. Better offensive-line play and Year 2 leaps from wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel will be needed for Stroud to bounce back into QB1 territory for fantasy football purposes.