After putting together one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history in 2023, fans may ask what Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud can possibly do to top that this season.
Fortunately for Stroud — and fantasy football managers — the Texans went out and made some significant upgrades on offense. So perhaps even better things are in store for Stroud in Year 2.
Here’s the fantasy outlook for Stroud entering the 2024 season.
C.J. Stroud’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
It is difficult to find too many seasons better for a rookie quarterback than Stroud’s last season. Stroud led the NFL in passing yards per game (273.9), threw for 23 touchdowns, and had only five interceptions.
His 1.0% interception percentage (five interceptions in 499 pass attempts) was also No. 1 in the league. He didn’t throw his first interception until Week 6, and three of his five interceptions happened in one game — Week 11 vs. the Arizona Cardinals — in which Stroud still led the Texans to victory.
By Week 2, Stroud was already making noise around the league, throwing for 384 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. In a Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Stroud threw for 470 yards and five touchdowns.
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He showed his big-play capabilities by averaging 8.2 yards per pass attempt (third-best in the NFL). Eight of his 23 touchdown passes went for 20 or more yards, including five scores of 40+ yards.
The Texans certainly responded to Stroud’s success, as they went 9-3 in games when Stroud had at least one touchdown (0-3 in games when he didn’t throw a touchdown).
And although running the ball was hardly his forte — 11.1 rush yards per game — he still finished with three rushing touchdowns.
Is Stroud a Good Fantasy Pick?
Stroud is the QB6 in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings as of Aug. 16.
The Texans did just about everything they could in the offseason to assure themselves and the rest of the NFL that Stroud was not a one-hit wonder. They traded for former Buffalo Bills’ No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs, adding him to an already loaded wide receiving unit that featured Nico Collins and Tank Dell.
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Houston also traded for running back Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals. The Texans ranked 28th in rushing offense a season ago.
Put it all together, and the Texans may be positioned to have a top-five offense in 2024. And considering what Stroud did a season ago with a less-than-stellar offensive unit, fantasy managers could potentially have a top-four or top-five quarterback this season.