Start C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start C.J. Stroud over Bryce Young in Week 1.

Bryce Young is priced by the books at 8.3 projected points and C.J. Stroud is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take C.J. Stroud at ADP 179 and Bryce Young at 216.

What the books imply

No sportsbook posted a player market for C.J. Stroud in Week 1.

Player prop markets imply 8.3 fantasy points for Bryce Young, with 45 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

Week 1 matchups

C.J. Stroud and HOU host BUF.

BUF allowed 16.5 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 16th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns against BUF, with no interceptions.

Bryce Young and CAR host CHI on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CHI allowed 34.8 fantasy points to QBs in its one game this season, the 3rd most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns against CHI, with an interception.

By points allowed to the position, Bryce Young has the softer matchup.

Injury status

C.J. Stroud was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Bryce Young was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

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

He completed 273 of 423 passes for 3041 yards, 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and ran 48 times for 209 yards and 1 touchdown.

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

C.J. Stroud, Week 18 of 2025 against IND: 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 5 yards, 17.3 PPR points.

C.J. Stroud, Week 17 of 2025 against LAC: 65 of 65 snaps, 16 of 28 passes for 244 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, 4 carries for 0 yards, 15.8 PPR points.

C.J. Stroud, Week 16 of 2025 against LV: 65 of 65 snaps, 23 of 35 passes for 187 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 4 carries for 0 yards, 11.5 PPR points.

In 2025, Bryce Young played 16 games for CAR and scored 229.0 PPR points, 14.3 a game, finishing QB19.

He completed 304 of 478 passes for 3011 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and ran 54 times for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 96 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Bryce Young, Week 18 of 2025 against TB: 51 of 51 snaps, 24 of 35 passes for 266 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for -1 yards, 17.5 PPR points.

Bryce Young, Week 17 of 2025 against SEA: 53 of 53 snaps, 14 of 24 passes for 54 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception, 9 carries for 27 yards, 9.9 PPR points.

Bryce Young, Week 16 of 2025 against TB: 54 of 54 snaps, 21 of 32 passes for 191 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 4 carries for 20 yards, 17.6 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

C.J. Stroud scored 16.5 PPR points and Bryce Young scored 32.4.

The call was wrong: Bryce Young outscored C.J. Stroud by 16.0.

C.J. Stroud, Week 1 against BUF: 79 of 79 snaps, 26 of 38 passes for 274 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 15 yards, 16.5 PPR points.

C.J. Stroud finished as the week's QB16 in PPR scoring.

Bryce Young finished 24.1 points above the 8.3 the props implied.

Bryce Young, Week 1 against CHI: 61 of 68 snaps, 23 of 37 passes for 361 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for 10 yards, 32.4 PPR points.

Bryce Young finished as the week's QB3 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start C.J. Stroud over Cam Ward.
• Start Daniel Jones over C.J. Stroud.
• Start C.J. Stroud over Jacoby Brissett.
• Start Bryce Young over Aaron Rodgers.
• Start Cam Ward over Bryce Young.
• Start Daniel Jones over Bryce Young.