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When will C.J. Stroud return and play? Will C.J. Stroud be back again this season? Read the latest C.J. Stroud injury updates and return date for Week 17 (2023).
Stay afloat, stay alive.
That's been the Texans' mantra without rookie sensation C.J. Stroud under center. He's been held out of the last two games with a concussion suffered in Week 14.
In those missed games, Houston split their games (a win at Tennessee and a loss vs. Cleveland) to keep their playoff hopes intact. Now tied with both Indianapolis and Jacksonville in the AFC South, Houston's star may be returning just in time to lead them to the postseason.
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C.J. Stroud Injury Update for Fantasy Football
All signs point to the second-overall pick returning to the lineup this Sunday. Coach DeMeco Ryans even noted that Stroud was able to participate in game preparations late last week.
His absence has put a pause on his Rookie of the Year campaign, but he's still the heavy favorite in the sportsbooks.
C.J. Stroud Fantasy Football Outlook
When we last saw Stroud, he was stumbling through a defeat in rainy East Rutherford against the Jets' top-rated pass defense. He was removed toward the tail end of that game with the concussion. He finished with 91 passing yards on 23 attempts while playing 86 percent of the snaps.
Many factors were working against the rookie. He was already down one of his favorite targets, rookie Tank Dell, entering the contest. Just three offensive snaps into the game, Nico Collins departed with a calf injury. Tight end Dalton Schultz was also inactive. That left Stroud with Noah Brown (locked down by Sauce Gardner), and that's about it.
Dell remains on injured reserve for the rest of the season, but Collins and Schultz are back in the lineup.
In Week 17, Stroud draws the Tennessee Titans. Two weeks ago, Houston's backup quarterback Case Keenum threw for 229 yards and scored against this same defense. That was with Brown as his primary option. Fantasy managers should view Stroud as a steady QB1 option upon his return.
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