When the Houston Texans selected C.J. Stroud second overall in the NFL Draft this year, fantasy football managers were hopeful yet nervous. With a defensively-minded head coach in DeMeco Ryans and young, untested offensive weapons around him, no one knew how effective Stroud would be in fantasy. Through four weeks, he has delivered.
The NFL Rookie of the Month had another fantastic day on Sunday against Pittsburgh, throwing two TDs on 306 yards passing.
So far this season, Stroud has 1,212 passing yards and 151 pass attempts with no interceptions to start his career. Through Week 3, he was QB14 in fantasy, a remarkable ranking for a QB that little to nobody drafted.
The offensive tools around Stroud have also stepped up. The combination of Nico Collins and rookie Tank Dell has been crucial to Stroud’s success, with both receivers hitting over a 66% catch percentage.
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Should C.J. Stroud Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 5?
If you have not added Stroud in your league, I envy your confidence in your QB situation. Add Stroud immediately, even if all you look to use him for is a bye-week replacement. He is looking to have one of the best rookie QB seasons in recent memory and on a team that will continue throwing due to game script.
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But Stroud is not limited to game script. The Texans came out swinging against the Steelers this week. And even with a large lead, Stroud still finished with 30 pass attempts. If you were lucky to get Stroud in dynasty leagues, an extra congratulations is heading your way.
CJ STROUD IS HIM 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/RSyOpj0KJL
— PFF (@PFF) October 1, 2023
Stroud has a few tougher matchups upcoming in addition to a Week 7 bye, but he will probably serve as your backup QB in the short term if you manage to snag him off waivers. Houston does have a nice run of matchups later in the year, further elevating the upside of this promising rookie quarterback.
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