Stroud lost Stefon Diggs (knee) for the season after he was hurt in Week 8 against the Colts, and Nico Collins (hamstring) isn't eligible to return until Week 10. Without two of his top receivers in Week 9 against the Jets, it will be tough to start Stroud in one-quarterback leagues. He's also scored 17.9 Fantasy points or less in three of his past four games, and the Jets held Stroud to 91 passing yards with four sacks on 10-of-23 attempts last year before he left in the fourth quarter with a concussion. I would only start Stroud in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Miserable night in loss
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Stroud completed 11 of 30 passes for 191 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed eight times for 59 yards in the Texans' 21-13 loss to the Jets on Thursday night. He also lost a fumble and failed to bring in his only target.
For the second time in three games, Stroud was under 200 passing yards and a 50.0 percent completion rate. In Thursday's instance, he also was constantly pressured to the tune of eight sacks, including one that resulted in a fumble deep in Jets territory, and 11 hits overall. The second-year signal-caller was down yet another key weapon in Stefon Diggs (IR, knee), leaving Tank Dell (six receptions, 126 yards) to garner the majority of Stroud's attention. Despite the unfavorable end result Thursday, brighter days should be ahead beginning with a Week 10 Sunday night home matchup against the Lions, considering Nico Collins (hamstring) is expected to be activated from injured reserve ahead of the Nov. 10 interconference clash.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Resurgent yardage total Sunday
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Stroud completed 25 of 37 passes for 285 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and added one rush for minus-4 yards in the Texans' 23-20 win over the Colts on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Stroud was coming off a career-low 86 passing yards in a Week 7 loss to the Packers, but he bounced back with his third-highest total of the season. The second-year signal-caller connected with Tank Dell for his one touchdown pass, hitting the second-year wideout from seven yards out late in the first half, and he recorded completions to eight different players overall. Stroud will still be without top wideout Nico Collins (hamstring) for at least one more game, and he'll have a short turnaround before doing battle with the Jets' talented secondary in a Week 9 Halloween road matchup Thursday night that he may not have Stefon Diggs (knee) for either.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Dreadful in Week 7 loss
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Stroud completed 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards, without a touchdown or turnover, in Sunday's 24-22 loss to the Packers. He added five rushing attempts for 19 yards.
Stroud had just 44 passing yards in the first half, but the Texans took a 19-14 lead into the locker room thanks to two Joe Mixon touchdown runs and two interceptions of Jordan Love by the defense. Houston's quarterback stayed cold with 42 passing yards after halftime, but a Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal with 1:44 remaining gave the Texans a 22-21 lead, only for the Packers to win it with a field goal of their own on the last play of the game. This game was there for the taking as the Texans won the turnover battle, 3-0, but Stroud's struggles led to Houston's second loss of the season. Stroud has 21 touchdown passes in 11 career regular-season home games and only 12 touchdown passes in 11 road games, so he's likely to bounce back in Week 8 at home against the Colts.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Throws for 331 in Week 5 win
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Stroud completed 28 of 38 passes for 331 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 23-20 win over the Bills. He added three rushing attempts for 27 yards and lost a fumble.
Stroud racked up 187 passing yards in the first half, highlighted by a 67-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins, who later left the game due to a hamstring injury. Without his top target, the second-year quarterback fell apart in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over on consecutive possessions and then knocking the Texans out of field-goal range with an ill-timed intentional grounding penalty. Houston's defense and special teams helped closed out the win, while a 59-yard Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal on the game's final play ensured that Stroud's second straight game with more than 330 passing yards didn't go to waste. Even if Collins doesn't play against the Patriots in Week 6, Stroud still has the means to be effective with Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell as his top two wide receivers.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Full practice Monday
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Stroud was a full participant in practice Monday after having Sunday off, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston reports.
Stroud had his foot stepped on by Folorunso Fatukasi during Saturday's practice but was able to finish out the session at normal speed. Sunday's day off can be viewed as a precaution. It's unlikely that Stroud will play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Bears, as head coach DeMeco Ryans plans not to play several key starters.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year
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Stroud was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The result isn't all that surprising after Stroud posted a 23:5 TD:INT while averaging 8.2 yards per attempt in his rookie season. Perhaps even more impressive was the role he played in the Texans' seven-win improvement from the 2022 campaign. Stroud bested other impressive performances from rookies, including Bijan Robinson, Puka Nacua, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Overwhelmed in playoff loss
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Stroud completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Ravens. He added three rushes for nine yards.
In contrast to his performance in his playoff debut, Stroud looked overwhelmed for much of the loss and could not consistently move the ball. He started reasonably well by racking up 82 passing yards in the first quarter but ultimately averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt, with the team's only touchdown coming on a punt return. Despite the disappointing close to his rookie campaign, Stroud was impressive overall by throwing for 4,108 yards with a 23:5 TD:INT across 15 regular-season games. That leaves little doubt that he's the franchise quarterback, and he also has several young pass catchers who combine to have the trajectory of the offense headed in a positive direction.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Three touchdowns in playoff win
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Stroud completed 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 45-14 win over the Browns.
Stroud was impressive in his playoff debut, particularly considering the Browns allowed only 164.7 passing yards to opponents during the regular season. He connected on five passes of more than 20 yards, highlighted by 76- and 37-yard touchdown passes. The only thing that slowed him down was the context of the game, as the Texans built up a three-score lead by midway through the third quarter. As a result, Stroud attempted only five passes in the second half and was pulled on Houston's first offensive possession of the second half. He and the team will now await the results of the rest of the wild-card games to find out their opponent in the divisional round.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Leads Texans to postseason
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Stroud completed 20 of 26 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 23-19 win over the Colts. He added three rushes for 20 yards.
Stroud finished off his impressive rookie season with an outstanding performance in a must-win game. He delivered a deep strike to Nico Collins on the Texans' first play from scrimmage for a 75-yard touchdown and capped off an eight-play, 57-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown pass just before halftime. Stroud finished the regular season with a 23:5 TD:INT while averaging 8.4 yards per attempt and will lead the Texans into the postseason -- potentially as the AFC South division champs.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: QBs to Start
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Stroud's first 20-point Fantasy outing of his career came against Indianapolis in Week 2 when he scored 25.5 points. He passed for 384 yards and two touchdowns that day, and hopefully he can have a repeat performance in Week 18. The Colts just allowed Aidan O'Connell to score 24.3 Fantasy points in Week 17, and that's now two quarterbacks in the past four weeks to reach at least that total. Stroud hasn't been great on the road this season, but he did score 21 Fantasy points in his last complete away game at Cincinnati in Week 10. This game has huge playoff implications for both teams, and I expect Stroud to have a strong game to likely lock up the rookie of the year award.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Expected back at practice
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Stroud (concussion) is expected to practice Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Stroud looks set to take the field Wednesday in some fashion for the first time since entering the concussion protocol during the Texans' Week 14 loss to the Jets. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said over the weekend that Stroud has been taking part in team meetings and is progressing in his recovery from the brain injury, but the quarterback's upcoming return to practice would represent the first tangible step forward as he navigates the protocol. In addition to attaining full clearance for contact, Stroud will also need to get the green light to play from an independent neurologist before he's removed from the five-step protocol. The Texans would turn to either Case Keenum or Davis Mills at quarterback for Sunday's game against the Titans if Stroud isn't ready to play this weekend.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Won't play Sunday
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Stroud (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Browns.
Stroud wasn't able to practice in any fashion this week, and though head coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that the quarterback's condition was improving, the rookie will ultimately miss a second straight game. Case Keenum will make another start Sunday in place of Stroud, while Davis Mills serves as Keenum's backup. Stroud will target a return to action Week 17 against the Titans on Dec. 31, but his potential availability will be contingent on him clearing the five-step protocol for brain injuries.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Still not practicing
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Stroud (concussion) wasn't spotted on the field at Friday's practice, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Stroud didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday either, so the signal-caller's continued absence Friday is a likely indication that he'll miss a second straight game Sunday against the Browns. The Texans' final Week 16 injury report will be released later Friday and will clarify whether Stroud has any chance of playing Sunday. If Stroud is once again sidelined, however, Case Keenum would be in store for another turn as Houston's starting quarterback.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Misses another practice
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Stroud (concussion) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Stroud, who is in the NFL's concussion protocol, also missed Wednesday's practice and is trending toward missing his second consecutive game Sunday against the Browns. If Stroud remains sidelined this weekend, Case Keenum again would be in line to fill in at QB for the Texans in Week 16.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Doubtful for Sunday
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Stroud (concussion) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Titans.
The Texans are leaving the door slightly ajar for Stroud to make a miraculous late recovery after missing practice throughout the week. The much more likely scenario entails Stroud being listed as inactive ahead of Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, with Davis Mills then stepping in as the starter and Case Keenum taking the backup QB role.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Still not practicing
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Stroud remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and isn't practicing Thursday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Stroud has yet to log any on-field work since exiting this past Sunday's 30-6 loss to the Jets with the concussion, leaving him with just one more opportunity to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Titans. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said he's "hopeful" about Stroud clearing the protocol ahead of Sunday's contest, but at this stage of the week, No. 2 quarterback Davis Mills appears to be trending toward making his first start of the season.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Remains in protocol Monday
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Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Stroud remains in concussion protocol, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Ryans confirmed that Stroud has been diagnosed with a concussion. The team is likely to take a cautious approach with its rookie quarterback, even in the midst of a heated playoff race, so Stroud seems unlikely to suit up for Sunday's game in Tennessee. Stroud's participation level in practice will offer insight into how quickly he's progressing through the concussion protocol, but if Stroud fails to gain clearance before Sunday, Davis Mills would be in line to make his first start of the season.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Evaluated for concussion
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Stroud, who left Sunday's game against the Jets, is being evaluated for a possible concussion.
Prior to his fourth-quarter exit from the contest, Stroud had completed 10 of 23 passes for 91 yards. With the Jets up 27-6, Stroud is presumably done for the day. In his absence, Davis Mills is in at QB for the Texans.
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Texans' C.J. Stroud: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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There are a few things to worry about with Stroud here, notably the loss of Tank Dell (leg) for the season. Dell left with a concussion in Week 5 at Atlanta and missed Week 6 against New Orleans, and Stroud scored 16.2 Fantasy points against the Falcons and 18.2 points against the Saints. Stroud also scored just 18.1 Fantasy points after Dell got hurt in Week 13 against Denver. The Jets are No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks at 15.6 points per game and recently held Tua Tagovailoa to 9.6 Fantasy points in Week 12. And Stroud has been bad on the road this season, averaging just 17.1 Fantasy points per game in five games away from Houston. I would only start Stroud in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 14.
