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C.J. Stroud Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.

QB C.J. Stroud helped stake the Texans to a 23-7 first-half lead Sunday night against the Lions but wound up struggling -- predictably -- the rest of the way. He threw for 164 yards and a TD on 14-of-20 passing in the first half, finding WR John Metchie in the end zone late in the second quarter. But Stroud went just 6 for 13 after the break, for 68 yards and a pair of INTs.

Texans WR Nico Collins (hamstring) is inactive for tonight’s game vs. the Lions. It was a strange week for Collins, who didn’t practice until Friday before being moved onto the active roster on Saturday but still ending up inactive. We’d expect him back for Week 11 but will track his status this coming week. Collins’ absence is bad news for QB C.J. Stroud, who’s averaged just 6.3 yards per pass attempt without Collins over the last four games.

Texans WR Tank Dell was listed as Questionable on the final injury report after a limited practice on Friday. Dell's Week 10 status is now in jeopardy after sustaining the injury at practice.

Texans WR Nico Collins (hamstring) remained sidelined for Thursday's practice, according to insider Aaron Wilson. Although all reports on Collins' rehab from his Week 5 hamstring injury have been positive, it doesn't look like Houston plans to activate him for Sunday night's game vs. the Lions. That's bad news for QB C.J. Stroud, who's averaged 7.8 yards per pass attempt in five games with Collins this season but just 6.3 yards per attempt in four games without Collins.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud mustered just 191 scoreless yards on 11-of-30 passing in Thursday night's loss to the Jets. It was his third game among the last four with fewer than 200 passing yards. The 37% completion rate was a career low. Stroud was vibing with WR Tank Dell, connecting on six of nine attempts for 126 yards. But all other Texans caught just five of 21 targets for 65 yards. That's 3.1 yards per pass attempt.

Texans WR Stefon Diggs will miss the remainder of the season with a torn right ACL. His season ends with 47 catches, 496 yards, and 3 TDs in less than 8 full games.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud threw for a meager 86 yards, with no TDs or INTs, in Sunday's narrow loss at Green Bay. He completed just 10 of 21 pass attempts, with half of those completions going to WR Stefon Diggs. The QB's yardage has dipped significantly through two games without WR Nico Collins.

The Texans placed WR Nico Collins on IR. That knocks him out for at least the next four games vs. the Patriots, Packers, Colts, and Jets. Collins will be eligible to return for Week 10's game against the Lions. "While hamstrings can be tricky, the belief is that Nico Collins will be back sooner, rather than later," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweets.

When addressing WR Nico Collins' injury on Monday, Texans HC Demeco Ryans said, "it takes a couple of weeks for a hamstring, so we'll evaluate that on a week-to-week basis." It's not exactly a concrete timetable for Collins' return, but it sounds like the Texans are bracing for a potential multi-game absence. We'll keep an eye on Collins this week, but fantasy owners should at least prepare to be without him for this Sunday's game vs. the Patriots. Collins' absence would leave behind a ton of opportunity for WRs Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. Xavier Hutchinson stepped in as Houston's No. 3 WR in the second half of last week's game but would be a desperation fantasy play.

Texans WR Tank Dell is "unlikely" to play vs. the Jaguars this weekend, according to insider Aaron Wilson. Dell is dealing with "painful bruised ribs" suffered near the end of last week's loss to the Vikings, Wilson adds. The injury is not considered long term.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud threw for just 215 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs in Sunday's lopsided loss at Minnesota. He left for Houston's final possession, giving way to Davis Mills. Stroud's lone TD went to RB Cam Akers late in the third quarter.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud did just enough to beat the Bears completing 23 of his 36 passes for 260 yards and a TD. He locked in on WR Nico Collins throughout the game, who had over 100 yards and a touchdown. The Bears defense got pressure, but Stroud kept his cool and led nearly the entire game.

The Texans and WR Nico Collins agreed to a three-year, $72.5 million extension with $52 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The deal keeps Collins in Houston through the 2027 season. His $24.2 million average annual salary ranks seventh among WRs, in between DeVonta Smith and D.K. Metcalf.

The Texans selected Ohio State TE Cade Stover in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. A five-year college player, Stover began his stint in Columbus as a LB. He soon transitioned to TE and held a starting role from 2022-2023. Modest production followed, largely because of the Buckeyes’ strong WR corps. In ‘22, Stover ranked third on the team in catches (36), fourth in yards (406), and fourth in TDs (5). 2023 turned up similar production, although his yards per catch jumped from 11.3 to 14.0. His yards per route run also rose from 1.32 to 2.04. The 2023 figure ranked fourth among 32 TEs with 50+ targets, and it came alongside a sharp dip in QB play post-C.J. Stroud. On tape, Stover shows a nasty demeanor – hardly a surprise given his defensive background. Reliable hands and plus athleticism also supply hope that he can develop into an NFL starter. At the Combine, he compiled a rock solid 8.22 Relative Athletic Score, boosted by a 4.65 forty time and a 1.61 ten-yard split. In Houston, Stover joins a TE room led by Dalton Schultz, who’s signed through the 2026 season. But getting to play with QB C.J. Stroud certainly adds to Stover’s dynasty appeal.

According to multiple reports, the Bills are sending WR Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Buffalo is also sending a 2024 sixth-round pick and 2025 fifth-rounder to Houston, while getting back only a second-round pick in 2025. Diggs' production fell off late last season after the Bills switched offensive coordinators. Now 30 and in a new offense, Diggs will have to show he's not in decline. He'll add the challenge of splitting targets with Houston's emergent young wideouts. Nico Collins (seventh) and Tank Dell (12th) both ranked among the top 12 WRs in PPR points per game last season, with rookie QB C.J. Stroud. The Diggs addition obviously lowers the target-share ceiling for all three wideouts. We'll also have to see exactly how Houston plans to deploy them. Diggs spent 35.7% of his pass snaps in the slot last year; 34.2% the year before. He topped 30% in that category for three of his four Buffalo seasons, surpassed only by his 2016 sophomore season (62.9%). Collins spent 20.1% of his time in the slot last year; Dell 28.7%. We'd bet on all three moving around the formation some. But Diggs could wind up primarily replacing Robert Woods (55.5% slot) and Noah Brown (39.3%). The trio gives Stroud one of the league's best WR groups and boosts his fantasy upside. The QB already sat sixth at the position in Underdog Fantasy ADP, though. That adds risk to Stroud as a draft target and gives him little room to move up. QB Josh Allen, meanwhile, has lost his top two wideouts (Gabe Davis the other) while adding only WR Curtis Samuel this offseason. The dearth of remaining talent adds risk to his fantasy outlook, though you shouldn't expect the high-level rusher to move significantly down our rankings. As for other affected players: Diggs' departure leaves target share available for TE Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir. His arrival in Houston makes life tougher for TE Dalton Schultz. He already sat just 13th among TEs in best ball ADP, though, and will likely fall further following this trade. Be sure to check our rankings for your format to see all the effects of this high-impact deal.

Bobby Slowik is getting a "significant raise" to remain the Texans' OC, according to insider Albert Breer. Slowik drew significant HC interest after leading Houston to top-13 finishes in both total yards and points this past year. His return is good news for QB C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense, although we'd like to see Slowik lean further toward the pass in 2024. Last year's Texans ranked 16th in neutral pass rate and 19th in Pass Rate Over Expected.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud returned from a two-game concussion with a decent outing in Sunday's win over the Titans. He threw for 213 yards on 24-of-32 passing, with 1 TD, 0 INTs, and 1 sack taken. Stroud's 75% completion rate marked a season high, but his 6.7 yards per pass attempt marked one of his lowest averages all season. The numbers indicate Stroud didn't show any rust in the aftermath of the concussion. The shorter range of his passing for a second straight game, though -- 4.0 YPA vs. the Jets in the game he left early -- is worth noting. That was Houston's first full game without WR Tank Dell, who leads the team in average target depth for the season -- by more than 2 yards over No. 2 Noah Brown (according to Pro Football Reference). The recent trend for Stroud isn't enough to make him worrisome as a fantasy option if your league plays into Week 18. Stroud gets a fine matchup with Indy. But he probably doesn't present as much upside as he did before Dell went down.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) practiced all week, including full workouts on Thursday and Friday, and is off the final injury report. He’ll be back under center for this weekend’s game vs. the Titans – a big boost for Houston’s offense. See where all the Texans sit in the Week 17 Rankings.

Texans QB C.J. Stroud has cleared concussion protocol and will play vs. the Titans on Sunday, barring a setback between now and then, insider Aaron Wilson reports. With Stroud out the past two weeks, Houston has totaled just 41 points and 370 passing yards. The rookie's return is a big boost for the entire offense, particularly WR Nico Collins, WR Noah Brown, and TE Dalton Schultz. See where all the Texans sit in the Week 17 Rankings.

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