The Houston Texans selected QB C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with the expectation he will be their franchise QB for years to come. But will he be relevant in fantasy football in 2023? Let’s take a closer look.
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C.J. Stroud’s 2023 Fantasy Outlook
Stroud will be the starting QB for a Texans offense that finished 31st in total yards per game (283.5), 31st in rushing yards per game (86.8), and tied for 30th in points per game (17.0) last season.
As if his inheritance wasn’t already bleek enough, the team also parted ways with its leading pass catcher, WR Brandin Cooks, this offseason.
Stroud is an exciting QB prospect who saw a significant amount of success at Ohio State, but it is worth pointing out that his collection of WRs in Columbus was far more talented than what is currently on the Texans’ roster.
More than an Angry Runner 😤 pic.twitter.com/T0YvL9vfwO
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans)
Going from throwing the ball to Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. to the likes of Nico Collins, John Metchie, Robert Woods, and Tank Dell is going to be an adjustment in and of itself.
Should You Draft C.J. Stroud at His Current ADP?
It feels like I haven’t written a whole lot of optimistic things with regard to Stroud’s outlook heading into his rookie season.
Well, the best I can do right now is say that there is nothing but upside with his current ADP in the 15th round at No. 171 overall.
MORE: 2023 Fantasy Player Projections
Unfortunately, the only way I see the Texans being competitive this season is by being stingy on defense and running their offense through RB Dameon Pierce. Even then, Stroud is likely to be in a game-manager role.
The lack of playmakers around him severely limits his fantasy ceiling, which leads me to believe there are better late-round dart throws for your QB2 than Stroud in 2023.
