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Should I drop C.J. Stroud for fantasy football Week 4? Is C.J. Stroud a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
C.J. Stroud has three top-12 fantasy finishes since Week 1 in 2024. That's the same number as Derek Carr, who missed seven starts last year and is now retired. It's also the same number as Marcus Mariota, who has only started one football game in that stretch. It's one fewer than Bryce Young, widely panned as a bust in fantasy and real football.
So, why is he still rostered in 60 percent of fantasy football leagues? That does account for Superflex and 2QB leagues, in which he should remain rostered. But single quarterback leagues? Yes, it's past time to cut ties.
What went wrong for the 2023 Rookie of the Year to get to this point? Let's dive into his fantasy football outlook for Week 4.
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Should I Drop C.J. Stroud in Fantasy Football?
If a fantasy manager is rostering C.J. Stroud in a single-quarterback league, they either a) play in a robust 16 or 18-team league or b) selected him late in drafts as a backup. We'll discuss more capable backup or streaming quarterbacks in a minute, but there are also higher-upside running backs and wide receivers worth rostering over Stroud.
The Houston offense was designed to fail this season. The offensive line, one of the worst in football in 2024, got worse over the offseason when the team traded Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil. Houston's running game doesn't scare opposing defenses. Joe Mixon (foot) remains on injured reserve, and the aforementioned offensive line isn't opening running lanes. An aging Nick Chubb and fourth-round rookie Woody Marks are being called upon to establish a ground game.
First-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley is calling play action at the lowest rate in the NFL and infrequently utilizing pre-snap motion. It's a stagnant, straightforward offense that is preventing Stroud from seeing multiple scoring opportunities. The Texans have zero touchdowns in the red zone through three weeks and three total (the closest from 25 yards away).
Former Texas A&M DB Antonio Johnson secures the game-winning interception for the Jaguars vs. the Texans. pic.twitter.com/2UCnO4tnWE
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) September 21, 2025
Stroud is averaging career-low marks in yards (199.7), yards per attempt (6.7), and touchdown percentage (2.2), while also tossing interceptions at his highest rate (3.4%).
Who Should I Pick Up for Fantasy Football?
Marcus Mariota, due to his rushing ability and the design of the Washington offense, has been successful every time he's thrust into game action. He's scored 19.6 fantasy points in his last three appearances and draws a revenge game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.
Geno Smith has thrown for 289 or more yards in two of his three games in Las Vegas. He matches up against the Chicago Bears this week, whose defense allows the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in the young season.
Geno to Tucker! @Raiders tie it up!
LVvsWAS on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/xBOcXTDzcU
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Tyrod Taylor and Carson Wentz both have plus matchups (Miami and Pittsburgh, respectively). Wentz is guaranteed another start with J.J. McCarthy sidelined and should need to throw more than 20 times in Dublin, Ireland.
If Fields sits out another game due to his concussion, Taylor faces a Miami defense that allows the second-most fantasy points to the position. Taylor has scored at least 17.5 points in his last four starts, dating back to 2023.
The streaming quarterback strategy has been fruitful this season, so there's no reason to stick with the underperforming one you drafted. Cut ties with Stroud and play quarterback roulette.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Looking for a replacement? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, Trevor Lawrence, Marcus Mariota, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pickup... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on players like Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, Trevor Lawrence, Marcus Mariota, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz. They are some of the most common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Looking for a replacement? Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, Trevor Lawrence, Marcus Mariota, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz:
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