Home Articles Week 9 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag: Is Time To Trade C.J. Stroud? (2024)
Fantasy Football Advice: Is Time To Trade C.J. Stroud?

Week 9 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag: Is Time To Trade C.J. Stroud? (2024)

by Nicolette Rojo

Welcome back to your direct line of fantasy football advice, our mailbag article series powered by the Fantasy Football Advice Network.

This is your path to expert advice, where we tackle your questions and provide valuable insights to help you make informed decisions. As the season progresses, we understand the importance of making the right choices to secure those crucial wins. The In-Between Media (IBT) team and I are here to answer your queries and keep your fantasy rosters strong.

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Week 9 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag

My QB is C.J. Stroud, and I’m getting tired of him. Someone offered me Josh Allen and Terry McLaurin for A.J. Brown. Should I take it? — @domham14

Context: @domham14 is losing patience with C.J. Stroud and is looking to shop him. A manager is offering  Josh Allen and Terry McLaurin. If accepted, his WR corps would be Ja’Marr Chase, McLaurin, Jaylen Waddle, Diontae Johnson and Keon Coleman, with teammate Allen at QB.

Ah, the ole’ sophomore slump. It is common for second-year QBs to see a dip in production from their rookie season, and while I’m still bullish on Stroud, this is fantasy football, not real life.

This trade was likely offered before the Stefon Diggs‘ ACL injury. However, it’s worth a shot, so why not?

In the spirit of Halloween Eve, let’s get into it.

Trick or Treat: C.J. Stroud

“This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween…” ok not quite yet, but we celebrate early in fantasy football. Why?

Trade offers like these. As a Southern Californian/Angeleno native, I will always support Stroud, who lived 40 minutes from me. However, @domham14 is very valid in feeling annoyed with the Texans QB.

In his rookie season, Stroud scored just about 280 fantasy points and finished under 15 fantasy points in five games all season (he played 15 total games). He’s scored under 15 points this season four times, and we’re barely entering Week 9. The Ohio State product also finished with under 10 points twice this season, with losses against the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

Whoever acquires C.J. Stroud is still getting somewhat of a treat:  He has a favorable schedule after Week 9 against the New York Jets. However, here’s a trick: Diggs’ injury.

Yes, Nico Collins is scheduled to return in Week 10. However, Tank Dell has struggled since returning from a broken leg and being shot in the offseason. Dalton Schultz‘s role will expand, but I’m not betting on his production improving that much.

That said, it’s a good trick-or-treat practice in handling this trade.

Terry McLaurin: The Real Scary Movie

Right now, there are two individuals keeping people up late: Art the Clown and Terry McLaurin (one is obviously not like the other). “Scary Terry” was off to a slow start, but since Week 3, he has had three 100+ receiving yards (almost four) games. His chemistry with rookie Jayden Daniels is only growing and will increase even more. The Commanders may have scored under 20 points in Week 8, but the Chicago Bears have a top-10 defense facing a rookie QB nursing a rib injury. It was expected.

The Commanders will face the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans before their bye week. He will face a pair of tough secondaries but I expect Washington to come out strong and further their NFC East champion chances. McLaurin is getting hot at the right time.

Losing A.J. Brown in this trade would hurt the receiving corps. He has finished with at least 84 receiving yards in each game he’s played in despite missing some time with a hamstring injury. We know that @domham14 would lose quite a bit of value trading Brown. However, gaining a potential NFL MVP winner in Josh Allen is a no-brainer.

That said, the receiving core is something to keep an eye out for because we know what we’re getting from Allen.

Wide Receiving Corps Without A.J. Brown

His receiving corps, minus Brown and McLaurin, is Ja’Marr ChaseJaylen WaddleDiontae Johnson and Keon Coleman.

Chase caught nine balls for 54 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals’ Week 8 blowout loss to the Eagles. His numbers notably drop when Tee Higgins is not in the lineup. Chase does not have a game with more than 62 yards without Higgins, and the Bengals’ season is nearly hopeless. His chemistry with Joe Burrow helps, but this is something to monitor moving forward.

Waddle has yet to score a touchdown this season, although this is primarily due to Tua Tagovailoa‘s absence. Even though the quarterback’s return did not immediately help him, I expect Waddle to bounce back, assuming Tagovailoa remains healthy.

Johnson is a WR3 rest of season. If he was still with the Carolina Panthers and Andy Dalton as QB1, it would be more intriguing. Johnson was a Points Per Reception (PPR) WR1 in his three games with Dalton as the starter. However, with Bryce Young back, it may have been paved well. He was held to under 23 yards in his four games with Young in and out of the lineup. Now, with Baltimore, I do not expect him to play a big role in the Ravens’ run-heavy offense. This is not ideal, and managers should not be surprised if they see Zay Flowers in trade proposals.

Coleman was heavily dropped after the Bills acquired Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. Despite adding Cooper to the receiving corps, Coleman had his best games of the year in back-to-back weeks. He exploded for 125 yards in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans and caught five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown in Week 8 against the Seattle Seahawks. I’m not selling my Coleman stock yet.

The Verdict

If this trade is still on the table or anywhere else, I would accept it. Yes, C.J. Stroud could turn it around in the second half of the season, but an injury-burdened receiving corps does not help. Losing Brown will take a huge toll on @domham14’s own receiving corps, but McLaurin’s value is only increasing, and gaining a red-hot Allen makes up for it.

If your receiving corps will take a dip, having a top QB1 like Allen helps your roster make up the void a bit. I think it’s worth accepting this trade (or at least thinking about it).

Check out all of our Week 9 fantasy football content:

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Thanks for reading our Week 9 Fantasy Football Mailbag, powered by the Fantasy Football Advice Network. Check out more of our fantasy football and other written content here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.

Follow me on Twitter/X @nrojo5 for more fantasy football & sports takes.

*Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty – USA TODAY Sports*

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