Quarterback C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans spent most of the Divisional Round under pressure, completing 19 of 28 passing attempts for 245 yards with neither a touchdown or a turnover in his team's season-ending defeat at Kansas City on Saturday. The Chiefs were able to get the best of Houston's offensive line, sacking the sophomore quarterback eight times and impacting a number of other throws as Houston managed only one touchdown. Though he limped off late in the game, Stroud did re-enter for the final drive. It was a largely disappointing year fantasy-wise for last season's Rookie of the Year, but he has now led Houston to a division title and a Wild Card victory in both of his first two seasons. Houston's offense goes into the offseason with needs on the offensive line and for a No. 2 receiver, as Tank Dell (knee) could be unavailable through 2025 and Stefon Diggs is a free agent.
C.J. Stroud A Low-End Starting QB Option At Chiefs
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud should be considered the lowest-ranked option out of all eight starting quarterback options with his team set to take on the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. The 23-year-old faces a Chiefs defense that ranked third among playoff teams in air yards allowed, fourth overall in blitz rate, fifth in pressure percentage, and held Houston to 19 points in a Week 16 Kansas City victory. The sophomore quarterback led Houston to a Wild Card win against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Houston's offense has averaged roughly 19 points per game since the beginning of December. Managers in playoff leagues or DFS should attempt for a better option than Stroud is a tough road matchup.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud shook off an awful first-half interception to finish 22 of 33 passing for 282 yards and a touchdown in helping his team defeat the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in the Wild Card Round. The sophomore quarterback also ran for 42 yards, which included a 27-yard scramble in the second quarter, his longest run of the season. Despite three offensive turnovers, Houston's offense was able to do more than enough in the second half to earn a postseason victory for the second straight year. Stroud completed passes to eight different receivers, but connected with Nico Collins seven times for 122 yards and a touchdown against L.A. The victory sealed Houston's place in the next round, where they will play an opponent to be decided on Sunday.
C.J. Stroud Among Last Tier Of Playoff Quarterbacks
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud should be considered among the lowest tier of starting quarterbacks for managers in playoff leagues with Houston set to play host to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round. The results just haven't been there for the Texans or their second-year starter, who finished as the No. 18 fantasy quarterback, a far cry from where he was drafted in preseason. The Chargers are a mid-tier defense against fantasy quarterbacks, but Houston's offense has averaged just 15.6 points in its past five games. Los Angeles ranks fourth in the NFL in scoring percentage allowed, fifth in yards after catch allowed, and fourth in net yards per passing attempt, which is not a great omen for Stroud or a struggling Houston offense.
C.J. Stroud Pulled From Sunday's Meeting With The Titans
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed all six attempts for 50 yards in Sunday's meeting with the Titans. He also threw a touchdown, finding Nico Collins in the first quarter for a two-yard score. The Texans are locked into a spot for the postseason, so Stroud is presumably done for the remainder of the contest. However, this shouldn't surprise anyone. Overall, the signal-caller had a good year, throwing for 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns (12 picks) and adding 52 carries for 233 yards. Although Stroud was more productive as a rookie, injuries on the offensive side of the ball likely prohibited him from being more potent from a fantasy standpoint. With Stroud out of the contest, Davis Mills is in under center.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is a fringe QB2 in Week 18 against the Tennessee Titans due to the unusual circumstances of the matchup. The Titans are an average defense against fantasy quarterbacks, but the real mystery is how long the sophomore quarterback will play. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has committed to playing starters, but with Houston already set as the AFC's No. 4 seed no matter what happens Sunday, the Texans don't have any incentive to go all-out against the Titans with Wild Card Weekend looming. As a result, Stroud's value in leagues that play Week 18 or DFS formats must be tied to the possibility he is pulled from the game at some point.
Although Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said he's banged up after the Week 17 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day last Wednesday, he was able to practice on Monday and appears ready to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The Texans are already locked into the No. 4 seed in the AFC for the postseason, but head coach DeMeco Ryans plans to play his healthy starters after the team got embarrassed last week. However, how long Stroud and other key starters such as wide receiver Nico Collins and running back Joe Mixon stay in the game on Sunday remains to be seen. Stroud, who was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, has been sacked 52 times (second-most in the NFL) and has had a rocky sophomore season. He won't be a recommended starting DFS QB in Week 18 with the potential to be pulled early on.
C.J. Stroud And Other Texans Starters Will Be A Full-Go Vs. Titans
Per Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, quarterback C.J. Stroud and the rest of the team's starters will play in this weekend's divisional clash with the Tennessee Titans. "Everybody has to be ready to go, and that's where we are," said Ryan. "Everyone will be out there playing." Ok then. Evidently, the Texans will be out in full force for the season's final week. Despite locking up the AFC's fourth seed, the second-year coach will run out his first-string unit in Week 18 after an embarrassing 31-2 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day. With the game holding no meaning for either team, it's possible that the starting squad could get a little rest anyway. Still, seeing the team's best product on the field for at least some of the action will be nice. The Texans will travel to Nashville to take on their division foes.
C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans delivered a dud in Week 17, finishing 17-for-31 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and an interception as the Houston offense failed to score in a 31-2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The sophomore was off target on a number of throws, and he was done no favors by a Texans offensive line that allowed five sacks and paved the way for only 58 rushing yards. The young quarterback and the Houston offense couldn't establish much of anything as Baltimore completely dominated the game from the outset. Stroud now has an 8:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the past six games, during which he hit 250 passing yards only once. Houston will look for better as it concludes the regular season in Week 18 at Tennessee.
Decent Matchup, But Bad Circumstances For C.J. Stroud
On one hand, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has a nice matchup on Christmas Day against a Baltimore Ravens passing defense that has struggled this year. But on the other, the circumstances surrounding the second-year quarterback leave a lot to be desired. Two of his top three receivers in Tank Dell (knee) and Stefon Diggs (knee) are out for the year, his patchwork offensive line will face a Ravens unit that has the second-most sacks in the league, his running game will face the best rushing defense in the NFL, and the Texans very well could be running on fumes with a third game in 11 days. Though Baltimore ranks an attractive 27th against fantasy quarterbacks, Stroud hasn't had a top-10 finish since Week 4. He should be saved only for Superflex formats.
C.J. Stroud
• QB
•
Texans
