Should I start Josh Allen or C.J. Stroud in Week 9?

The market-based projections

Josh Allen's market-based projection is 22.5 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 8 market sources. That is the 3rd highest figure of the 219 players with a market-based projection.

C.J. Stroud's market-based projection is 17.1 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 9 market sources. That is the 12th highest figure of the 219 players with a market-based projection.

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on Josh Allen, and the board ranks him 43rd overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 2.

Live drafts hold no current pick on C.J. Stroud, and the board ranks him 85th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 30.

This season so far

Through Week 8, Josh Allen has been on the field for 99 percent of BUF snaps, dropped back 237 times and thrown 9.0 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 32 of 237 dropbacks and scrambled 19 times.

In Week 5 against LAR he completed 12 of 19 passes for 210 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception and ran 10 times for 121 yards.

In Week 6 against LV he completed 23 of 33 passes for 255 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and ran 2 times for 4 yards.

In Week 8 against BAL he completed 21 of 34 passes for 289 yards, threw 2 touchdowns and 1 interception and ran 7 times for 30 yards.

Through Week 7, C.J. Stroud has been on the field for 100 percent of HOU snaps, dropped back 266 times and thrown 9.3 air yards an attempt.

He has been sacked or hit on 35 of 266 dropbacks and scrambled 8 times.

In Week 5 against TEN he completed 26 of 34 passes for 261 yards, threw 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions and ran 4 times for 7 yards.

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.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Josh Allen played 17 games and scored 374.6 PPR points, 22.0 a game, finishing QB1.

He threw for 3668 yards on 460 attempts with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and ran for 579 yards and 14 touchdowns.

That came to 27.1 attempts a game at 8.0 yards an attempt.

He was on the field for 98 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.

Josh Allen was available for 3 games more.

Head to head

In 2025 Josh Allen scored 22.0 PPR points a game and C.J. Stroud 15.5, 6.6 a game between them.

Josh Allen finished QB1 that year and C.J. Stroud QB21.

Josh Allen had 37 more pass attempts than C.J. Stroud, 460 to 423.

Josh Allen had 627 more passing yards than C.J. Stroud, 3668 to 3041.

This season C.J. Stroud holds the bigger snap share, 100 percent against 99 percent.

This season Josh Allen holds the bigger target share, 1 percent against 0 percent.

Byes and availability

Josh Allen is off in Week 7 and C.J. Stroud in Week 8, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

5.5 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.