The Houston Texans will face the Tennessee Titans in Week 18. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB C.J. Stroud.
Is C.J. Stroud Playing in Week 18?
Stroud is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any unexpected setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the Texans’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit C.J. Stroud in Week 18?
The Texans don’t have any upward mobility this weekend. They are locked into the No. 4 seed, and that means that, if chalk holds, they will draw the Chiefs in the second round. They are going to have a battle on their hands just to get to that point, and they really haven’t looked like a legitimate threat for a while (5-1 start to the season, 4-6 since).
C.J. Stroud was just ordinary in the Week 12 loss to these Titans (he threw for 247 yards with a pair of touchdowns and a pair of interceptions), but it’s difficult to see him playing a full 60 minutes this weekend with the understanding that Houston will be hosting a Wild Card game next week.
When looking forward, be it for DFS purposes this postseason or early 2025 rankings, Stroud’s regression as a field stretcher has to be considered. We’ve seen the Bengals adapt their offense and draw back Ja’Marr Chase’s aDOT in the process — do the Texans try something similar in short order to make their second-year QB more efficient?
Stroud threw 116 deep passes (15+ air yards) as a rookie, averaging 14.5 yards per attempt with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions in the process. This season, on 122 such passes, Stroud is averaging 11.0 yards per pass with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 18 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
C.J. Stroud’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 18
As of Saturday, Stroud is projected to score 10.3 fantasy points in Week 18. This includes 152.7 passing yards, 0.8 passing touchdowns, and 0.2 interceptions. It also includes 1.8 rushing attempts for 8.1 yards and 0.1 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
C.J. Stroud’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 12:45 AM ET on Saturday, January 4. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Week 18 Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 18 QB PPR Rankings
1) Lamar Jackson | BAL (vs. CLE)
2) Jayden Daniels | WAS (at DAL)
3) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. NO)
4) Joe Burrow | CIN (at PIT)
5) Sam Darnold | MIN (at DET)
6) Jared Goff | DET (vs. MIN)
7) Jordan Love | GB (vs. CHI)
8) Bo Nix | DEN (vs. KC)
9) Kyler Murray | ARI (vs. SF)
10) Justin Herbert | LAC (at LV)
11) Drake Maye | NE (vs. BUF)
12) Bryce Young | CAR (at ATL)
13) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. CIN)
14) Geno Smith | SEA (at LAR)
15) Caleb Williams | CHI (at GB)
16) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (vs. MIA)
17) Joe Flacco | IND (vs. JAX)
18) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (vs. CAR)
19) Mason Rudolph | TEN (vs. HOU)
20) Aidan O'Connell | LV (vs. LAC)
21) Mac Jones | JAX (at IND)
22) Tanner McKee | PHI (vs. NYG)
23) Kenny Pickett | PHI (vs. NYG)
24) Cooper Rush | DAL (vs. WAS)
25) C.J. Stroud | HOU (at TEN)
26) Drew Lock | NYG (at PHI)
27) Jimmy Garoppolo | LAR (vs. SEA)
28) Carson Wentz | KC (at DEN)
29) Davis Mills | HOU (at TEN)
30) Tyler Huntley | MIA (at NYJ)
31) Spencer Rattler | NO (at TB)
32) Joshua Dobbs | SF (at ARI)
33) Taylor Heinicke | LAC (at LV)
34) Bailey Zappe | KC (at DEN)
35) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (at BAL)
36) Sam Howell | SEA (at LAR)
37) Josh Allen | BUF (at NE)