C.J. Stroud: A Cornerstone of your Dynasty football team.

 C.J Stroud proved himself as a worthy fantasy quarterback in 2023, he over exceeded expectations and turned the Houston Texans from a bottom dweller to a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. Now with the additions of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon along with the breakout of 3rd round wide receiver Tank Dell and Nico Collins, everyone is shouting "C.J. Stroud to the moon!".

When we look at his 2023 stats, his first outing was rough against Baltimore as he only scored 10.6 fantasy points in a 6 point per passing TD league. Then again, the Baltimore Ravens are a very well respected defensive unit and any rookie would struggle against them as their first outing.  Things clicked for C.J. in week two against my Indianapolis Colts who desperately needed better secondary as C.J. dropped 24.4 fantasy points on them. He did struggle with two fumbles thanks to that Colts defensive line but luckily he only lost one fumble. He threw for two touchdowns in that contest. C.J. then hit a hot streak with 20+ point performances against Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. Each of those games he threw for over 200 yards (280 vs Jacksonville and a nice 306 vs Pittsburgh). It was becoming clear that C.J. Stroud was on the path to greatness. Anyone who had invested in him in single QB or superflex leagues was probably ecstatic.

There was a lull in fantasy upside from Weeks 5 through 8. Stroud failed to deliver his usual 20+ performances. Week 5 against Atlanta was a solid day in the NFL but in the fantasy world, 249 yards and 1 TD pass isn't going to get the job done for your lineup. Week 6 against the Saints, he threw his first career interception but still got you the two touchdown game but it only amounted to 19.1 fantasy points. So almost 20 but not what we're looking for in fantasy football. Week 7, C.J. was able to take his bye week and take in his season so far. All things considered he was probably the best Rookie quarterback currently outside of Anthony Richardson. Bryce Young was putting up lackluster numbers with how poorly Carolina was being run by owner David Tepper and head coach Frank Reich. Week 8 against Carolina surprisingly was a nothing burger as Stroud threw for 140 yards. No touchdowns.

Week 9 was C.J.'s elite upside game as in a shootout against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers he dropped a Mahomes level 50..8 fantasy points. In the contest he threw for 570 yards and a whopping five touchdown passes. This was the game that made Stroud turn some heads in Dynasty and fantasy managers realized they were sitting on a potential gold mine. Stroud once against hit his hot streak Weeks 10 through 12 as he once against delivered 20+ performances against the Bengals, Cardinals and Jaguars. Stroud showed some ball security issues against Cincinnati like any rookie quarterback would, the two fumbles were concerning but he made up the difference with 356 passing yards and 1 touchdown pass.  It was clear to me that Head Coach DeMeco Ryans trusted Stroud with the ball and knew his best chances to win was with a high aerial assault led by Stroud. The Cardinals game looking back on it skewer Stroud's numbers as he threw an unusual 3 interceptions. It was an outlier compared to the rest of the season. Stroud still put up another 22 point performance thanks to two touchdown passes. Stroud put up his second best performance of the season against Jacksonville putting up 34.8 fantasy points, he threw for 304 yards and his automatic (most weeks) two touchdown passes. Stroud also got a touchdown on the ground as he shows some mobility but not a weekly amount (more on that in closing)

Unfortunately for Stroud, that was the last real highlight game of the season.  In Week 13 against Denver, he had another good day professionally but not on the fantasy gridiron. A 274 yards and 1 touchdown outing only amounting to 17 fantasy points. Better than nothing but not thrilled if you started him. The Week 14 game against the Jets, Stroud got injured so I don't really hold that one against him. The Jets defense was ferocious and Stroud was knocked out of the game early. He proceeded to miss Weeks 15 and 16 against Tennessee and Cleveland.  He came back in Week 17 and had another average performance against the Titans (14.9 fantasy points) and then boomed Week 18 against the Colts with a 24.5 fantasy point performance throwing for 264 yards and 2 TDs.

Stroud and the Texans headed to the playoffs to face Joe Flacco and the Cleveland Browns, Stroud lit up the Browns for 274 yards and 3 TD passes (a 29 point fantasy day, QB4 on the week). Baltimore the following week was a repeat of Week 1 as Stroud and the Texans struggled to do much as he threw for a mediocre 175 passing yards and no touchdowns. Stroud's season and the Texans season was over but enough was shown on the field for C.J. Stroud to win the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year and end his first year in the NFL on a high note. Stroud finished with 4,108 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions. His interception rate was an insane 1.0%

Going forward 2024 and beyond, it's clear to me and others that C.J. Stroud is the future of the Houston Texans. Trading for Stefon Diggs and signing Joe Mixon shows me that the Houston Texans are hoping to be Super Bowl champions. I am confident that C.J. Stroud is a top 5 quarterback in redraft and Dynasty. There is the possibility of a sophomore slump but I just don't see it. He wasn't consistent on a week to week basis and he seemed to struggle against some defenses more than others but with the passing weapons around him, the way he takes care of the ball and the fact he's a more pocket passer than scrambler, I think C.J. Stroud could be your dynasty quarterback for at least a decade. 

The one knock against Stroud is he offers not much of a rushing floor which is where mobile elite quarterbacks have the upper hand on him but in a 6 point per passing touchdown league, I think Stroud is still going to deliver top 10 numbers weekly in 2024. Anything below that threshold is going to be a fantasy disappointment. C.J. Stroud is a locked and loaded cornerstone fantasy quarterback for your dynasty team. I have no doubts about it.