Fantasy Football Outlook: C.J. Stroud, James Cook, Deshaun Watson, Brandin Cooks

With Bye Weeks and injuries becoming more and more of an issue each week, it can pay off to be extra focused at this time of year and make sure the players you’re starting actually deserve to be started. Here are all of the safest and riskiest starts of the week. Below we dive into a few notable players.

Fantasy Football Outlook

C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU)

Make no mistake C.J. Stroud has shown an incredible amount of ability and potential in the opening few weeks of the season, but Week 6 against the Saints might be a good time to bench Stroud if you have a better option. The Saints have given up an average of 14.3 points to opposing quarterbacks, the seventh-lowest rate and they have a habit of sucking the air out of games and turning them into slow and low-scoring affairs. In three of five games, the Saints have held opposing quarterbacks to under 200 passing yards. Stroud has been electric, but this might be a bad environment for a young and inexperienced team.

Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE)

The Browns’ defense has been incredible outside of a poor game against Lamar Jackson, and it’s made the offense’s struggles even more apparent. Deshaun Watson has a single game this season where he’s passed for multiple touchdowns, added to the fact that he’s only had one game over 250 passing yards, with two of three games below 56% completion rate. This was all before Watson suffered a contusion to his shoulder that kept him out of the Week 4 game against the Ravens, and despite a full bye week to recover, Watson still isn’t practicing ahead of the Browns’ Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers, who allow the second-lowest passing rate to opposing quarterbacks (5.5).

#Browns QB Deshaun Watson remains day-to-day with what sources say is a rotator cuff contusion.

After a surprise scratch in Week 4, Watson spent the bye resting and rehabbing. He didn’t practice Monday, but did some throwing. Status TBD for Sunday’s game vs. the #49ers. pic.twitter.com/tREXg6r83U

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 10, 2023

Brandin Cooks (WR – DAL)

The Cowboys play the Chargers in Week 6, in what might be termed a revenge game for Kellen Moore, the offensive coordinator of the Chargers who used to call Dallas home. While the Chargers’ passing game has been flying, their defense has been poor, allowing a league-leading 231 receiving yards per game to opposing wide receivers. This might sound like a prime matchup to be starting Cooks, but based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s not without risk. Cooks has totaled 73 receiving yards in four games, finishing as the wide receiver 79, 87, 55, and 78 to date.

James Cook (RB – BUF)

Hopes were high for James Cook for a period with it looking like the Buffalo Bills backfield might be fully turned over to the promising second-year back, but of late, it feels differently. Since Week 2 when Cook scored 19.9 points on a season-high 21 touches, Cook has seen his touches decrease each week with both Damien Harris and Latavius Murray mixing in for not only red zone opportunities but also passing down work and touches between the twenties. If Cook doesn’t have volume, and he doesn’t have high-value touches, then it rather caps Cook’s upside. The Giants have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, but are we sure James Cook will be the one getting them for the Bills?