C.J.Stroud

News: 2 days agoStroud heads into the regular season with Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Kayshon Boutte as his top wide receivers, while Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports that Tank Dell (knee) will begin the season on IR with a designation to return.

Spin: The Texans traded for Boutte from New England after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL, knocking the 2025 second-round pick out for the season. Boutte's 551 receiving yards for the Patriots in the 2025 regular season would have ranked second among Houston's wideouts behind Collins. Hutchinson had a career-high 428 receiving yards during the 2025 regular season, Noel has some intriguing upside as a 2025 third-round pick, and Houston is hoping to get Dell back eventually from the knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season. Stroud is looking to bounce back after a 2025 campaign in which he threw for career lows in both passing yards (3,041) and touchdown passes (19) during the regular season before coughing up seven turnovers in two playoff games.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Stroud enters his fourth NFL season yet to emerge as a quality fantasy option and having seen his passing production dip during each season of his career. Stroud impressed as a rookie with 24 passing TDs, three rushing TDs and a ninth-place finish in fantasy points per game (18.4). During the past two seasons, he failed to clear 20 passing touchdowns, has a total of one rushing TD and averaged 13.8 points, ranking outside the top 20 both years. Stroud's efficiency has been solid at best and thanks in part to Houston's elite defense, he hasn't needed to throw the ball (or scramble) very often. There's little reason to expect much change in 2026, so even with a good, deep group of pass catchers, the 24-year-old is best viewed as a low-upside, fringe QB2 in 12-team leagues.