Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Should I Buy or Sell C.J. Stroud?

It’s always amazing how quickly things can change in fantasy football. This time last year, C.J. Stroud was fresh off a fantastic rookie season and was seen as one of the most coveted assets in dynasty fantasy football leagues.

Fast forward one year and the narrative is much different. Stroud struggled quite a bit in 2024, and it has left many dynasty gamers wondering what to do with the Texans signal-caller.

When situations like this arise, determining an appropriate course of action is a critical step for dynasty fantasy football managers. Let’s take a few minutes and figure out what dynasty gamers should do with the Texans QB1.

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What Happened to C.J. Stroud in 2024?

Stroud went through a sophomore slump in 2024. Many gamers identified Stroud as a breakout candidate and drafted him as such. Sadly, that did not work out. Stroud regressed across the board and was one of fantasy football's biggest busts last year. He did not look like the same player we saw as a rookie in 2023. It all resulted in a QB18 finish.

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His main problem for fantasy football is that he offers very little rushing upside. Through two seasons, Stroud has run for 400 yards. For context, nine quarterbacks surpassed that mark in 2024. The lack of rushing does not make Stroud a bad real-life quarterback, but it puts a hard cap on his ceiling.

I identified Stroud as a potential bust candidate in my 2024 All-Bust Team and also recommended that dynasty gamers sell high last year due to his inflated value.

Unfortunately for managers who did not heed this advice, they missed an opportunity to sell Stroud at his peak value. Now is not the ideal time to move him as his value has taken a hit, and the dynasty community seems to value him more appropriately.

Should I Buy or Sell C.J. Stroud?

Stroud is more of a hold at this point for gamers. Their best bet is to hope he rebounds in Year 3 and puts up a much better statistical season. At that point, managers would be wise to sell Stroud for a max return.

However, if there is a manager in your league who you know still values Stroud close to last year’s dynasty QB3 ranking, then it’s not a bad idea to kick the tires on those trade talks. Other than that, it’s better to stay the course.

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