Joe Burrow or C.J. Stroud: who should I start?

What the sportsbooks price

The player markets price Joe Burrow at 16.4 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 18 books. That is the 28th highest figure of the 183 players the books price.

The player markets price C.J. Stroud at 15.4 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 18 books. That is the 33rd highest figure of the 183 players the books price.

Where the draft room stands

Drafters have formed no consensus on Joe Burrow: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 98th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 12.

Drafters have formed no consensus on C.J. Stroud: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 113th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 76.

This season through Week 1

Through Week 1, Joe Burrow has been on the field for 100 percent of CIN snaps, dropped back 37 times and thrown 6.5 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 6 of 37 dropbacks and scrambled 1 time.

In Week 1 against TB he completed 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception and ran 4 times for 21 yards.

Through Week 1, C.J. Stroud has been on the field for 100 percent of HOU snaps, dropped back 42 times and thrown 8.5 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 9 of 42 dropbacks and scrambled 1 time.

In Week 1 against BUF he completed 26 of 38 passes for 274 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 2 times for 15 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Joe Burrow played 8 games and scored 139.5 PPR points, 17.4 a game, finishing QB29.

He threw for 1809 yards on 259 attempts with 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and ran for 41 yards and 0 touchdowns.

That came to 32.4 attempts a game at 7.0 yards an attempt.

He was on the field for 86 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

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.

C.J. Stroud was available for 6 games more.

Head to head

In 2025 Joe Burrow scored 17.4 PPR points a game and C.J. Stroud 15.5, 2.0 a game between them.

Joe Burrow finished QB29 that year and C.J. Stroud QB21.

C.J. Stroud had 164 more pass attempts than Joe Burrow, 423 to 259.

C.J. Stroud had 1232 more passing yards than Joe Burrow, 3041 to 1809.

Their snap share this season is the same, 100 percent each.

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

Byes and availability

Joe Burrow is off in Week 6 and C.J. Stroud in Week 8, so either can cover the other's bye.

Joe Burrow is listed as questionable on the injury report.

What would change the answer

0.9 points a game is the entire case. The books restate it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when the consensus sample holds these two again it can order them differently from the price, and this page will follow the sample rather than the books when it does.