C.J.Stroud

News: 2 days agoStroud completed 23 of 39 passes for 356 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Texans' 30-27 win over the Bengals on Sunday. He also rushed twice for eight yards and a touchdown and lost two fumbles.

Spin: Stroud went into enemy territory and helped the Texans continue to defy expectations with the fourth 300-yard effort of his nascent career. The rookie did throw multiple interceptions for the first time and was separated from the ball twice, but he impressively adapted to not having top receiver Nico Collins (calf) by pivoting to Noah Brown (7-172-0), Dalton Schultz (4-71-0) and Tank Dell (6-56-1). The second overall pick also got plenty of help from a career-best 150-yard rushing day from Devin Singletary, and Stroud capped off another stellar afternoon by coolly leading Houston on a six-play, 55-yard march that culminated in a game-winning 38-yard field goal by Matt Ammendola. Stroud next faces off with Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in what could be another high-scoring contest at home Week 11.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Stroud was selected with the No. 2 pick of April's draft. The 6-foot-3, super-accurate Ohio State product was nothing short of elite at OSU, pacing this year's rookie class in completion rate (69%), YPA (9.8), catchable pass rate (81%), QB rating (181) and total QBR (90.3) during his 28 appearances. Stroud's fantasy upside could be limited by a lack of rushing (55-321-1 career rushing line, excluding sacks), and there's not a ton to love about his supporting cast here in 2023 (Nico Collins and Robert Woods are Houston's top WRs). The 21-year-old will learn on the job this season and will be a potential breakout player in 2024.