Should I start C.J. Stroud or Fernando Mendoza in Week 10?

The market-based projections

C.J. Stroud's market-based projection is 16.1 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 7 market sources. That is the 25th highest figure of the 214 players with a market-based projection.

Fernando Mendoza's market-based projection is 11.9 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 12 market sources. That is the 53rd highest figure of the 214 players with a market-based projection.

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on C.J. Stroud, and the board ranks him 94th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 30.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Fernando Mendoza, and the board ranks him 172nd overall on the rest of his evidence.

This season so far

Through Week 9, C.J. Stroud has been on the field for 98 percent of HOU snaps, dropped back 304 times and thrown 9.7 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 41 of 304 dropbacks and scrambled 10 times.

In Week 6 against JAX he completed 24 of 34 passes for 312 yards, threw 3 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 1 time for 5 yards.

In Week 7 against NYG he completed 17 of 28 passes for 153 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 2 times for 4 yards.

In Week 9 against LAC he completed 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards, threw 5 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 2 times for 20 yards.

Through Week 5, Fernando Mendoza has been on the field for 17 percent of LV snaps, dropped back 9 times and thrown 5.9 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 1 of 9 dropbacks and scrambled 1 time.

In Week 5 against NE he completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 1 time for 3 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 C.J. Stroud played 14 games and scored 216.5 PPR points, 15.5 a game, finishing QB21.

He threw for 3041 yards on 423 attempts with 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and ran for 209 yards and 1 touchdown.

That came to 30.2 attempts a game at 7.2 yards an attempt.

He was on the field for 93 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Fernando Mendoza is a rookie, so there is no NFL season behind him to price him against.

Head to head

This season C.J. Stroud holds the bigger snap share, 98 percent against 17 percent.

Their target share this season is the same, 0 percent each.

Byes and availability

C.J. Stroud is off in Week 8 and Fernando Mendoza in Week 13, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

4.2 points a game is the entire case. The market restates it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when live drafts hold these two again they can order them differently from the projection, and this page will follow the drafts rather than the market-based projection when they do.