Can C.J. Stroud Bounce Back In 2025 Fantasy Football With New Receiving Weapons?

C.J. Stroud faces a crucial 2025 with fresh receiving targets and a healthy Joe Mixon, poised for QB2 fantasy value.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops back to pass during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

C.J. Stroud flashed big-play potential in his rookie year with the Houston Texans, highlighted by six 300-yard passing games and a standout 470-yard, five-touchdown outing. Despite injuries limiting his weapons and a dip in production late in the 2024 season, Houston’s revamped offense and added receivers set Stroud up for a strong bounce-back campaign in 2025.

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

In his rookie campaign, Stroud passed for 300 yards or more in six of his 15 starts, highlighted by an impact game (470/5) in Week 9 vs. Tampa Bay. He finished 11th in quarterback scoring (326.20) while missing two contests. Despite his success, Stroud had two touchdowns or fewer in his other 14 matchups. His play at home (25.91 FPPG) was much better than on the road (16.95 FPPG). He finished with better-than-expected results in the run game (39/167/3).

The Texans’ desire to improve their passing weapons for Stroud in 2024 was derailed by some receiving injuries. His top three wideouts missed 17 games, and Joe Mixon was on the sidelines for three starts. As a result, Houston was less dynamic passing the ball. 

Stroud gained over 300 yards in Week 4 (345/2) and Week 5 (331/1) but drifted off into the fantasy sunset over his final 13 games (15.56 FPPG in four-point passing touchdown leagues). Over this downturn, he had 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions while averaging only 206 passing yards and 29.6 attempts. 

In this year’s draft, Houston added two helpful wide receivers (Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel) while also signing Christian Kirk. They moved on from Stefon Diggs, and the relevance of Tank Dell is in limbo due to his recovery from a couple of knee surgeries.

C.J. Stroud Fantasy Football Outlook

When at his best in 2023, Stroud showed the ability to drive the ball for long completions over the second and third levels of the defense. His smaller passing window took away from many of those opportunities last year, especially when Nico Collins was out of the starting lineup. The addition of Joe Mixon improved Houston’s chances of scoring on the ground (14 TDs) over their first 13 games. 

In early June, Stroud is the 16th-ranked quarterback, after finishing 11th and 18th over his first two seasons. He battled a right shoulder injury in late spring, which will be something to monitor over the summer. With better blocking and a healthy wide receiver season, Stroud has the tools to gain 4,500 combined yards with over 30 touchdowns, making him a value as a QB2 in the fantasy market.