CJ Stroud start or sit: Week 3 fantasy football advice

With two weeks of the NFL season in the books, Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud remains pristine with no interceptions thrown so far. He’s still in search of his first career regular-season win, but he put together an improved showing in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. Now as he prepares to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, it begs the question of whether he warrants consideration as a fantasy starter.

We break down whether you should trust the Texans rookie as you finalize your starting lineups for Week 3.

Fantasy Football analysis: Texans QB CJ Stroud

Following a subpar 10.68 fantasy performance in his debut, the second-overall pick bounced back with a 21.46 fantasy outing in Week 2 against the Colts. Stroud completed 63.8 percent of his passes while finding Nico Collins and Tank Dell for his two touchdown passes. He’s averaging 313 passing yards per game without an interception, but a pair of fumbles through the first two games highlights his need for better ball security.

Start or sit in Week 3?

Sit. Stroud’s improvement in Week 2 is encouraging, but he hasn’t proven enough just yet to warrant consideration as a starter. The Texans rookie was also battling through a shoulder injury last week, and though he indicates he’ll be at full health in Week 3, fantasy managers are better off playing it cautious.

Jacksonville only gave up 17 points to a talented Chiefs offense that, of course, is led by Patrick Mahomes. Playing at home against a rookie quarterback means they could take advantage of Stroud’s inexperience.

Stroud will likely not be on the radar for fantasy players in smaller leagues of 10 teams or fewer. For those in larger leagues of more than 12 players, Stroud could be worth a spot on the bench, but the sound strategy remains passing on him as a starter for Week 3.

Player(s) you would start ahead of CJ Stroud

Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford are better options to consider over Stroud considering their experience and respective matchups this week. Wilson faces a Dolphins defense that has looked far from elite, having given up 433 total yards of offense in Week 1. Meanwhile, the Bengals have allowed the third-most fantasy points (21.8 PPG) to quarterbacks through two weeks, giving Stafford an edge in that matchup.