C.J. Stroud or Malik Willis?
Who to start in Week 1, who is better for the rest of the season, and who carries more trade value — from the FantasyPros expert consensus and the LeagueLogs Market Index.
Week 1 · 2026 season · Consensus updated September 3 at 1:20 PM EDT
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The lean
- This week: Malik Willis
- Rest of season: Malik Willis — 97 of 113 experts
- Trade value: close to even
The three horizons agree — this one is not close on the consensus.
| C.J. Stroud | Malik Willis | |
|---|---|---|
| Rest of season 16 of 113 experts rank C.J. Stroud ahead · 97 rank Malik Willis ahead | QB23#16–#27 | QB20#13–#27edge |
| Week 1 | QB24#21–#27 | QB18#14–#28edge |
| Week 1 projection (PPR) | 16.0 | 16.1 |
| Market Index value (redraft PPR) | 6 #141 overall | 7 #128 overall |
| Rostered | 28% | 33% |
| Bye | 8 | 6 |
| Status | No injury designation | No injury designation |
Expert consensus and ownership data via FantasyPros · Market Index values by LeagueLogs
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Who should I start in Week 1, C.J. Stroud or Malik Willis?
- Malik Willis. This week's consensus has C.J. Stroud at QB24 (range #21–#27) and Malik Willis at QB18 (range #14–#28). Projections: 16.0 vs 16.1 PPR points.
- Who is better for the rest of the season, C.J. Stroud or Malik Willis?
- Malik Willis. Rest-of-season consensus: C.J. Stroud QB23 (range #16–#27) vs Malik Willis QB20 (range #13–#27). 97 of 113 FantasyPros experts who rank both have Malik Willis ahead for the rest of the season.
- Should I trade C.J. Stroud for Malik Willis?
- On the LeagueLogs Market Index (redraft PPR) C.J. Stroud is ranked #141 overall and Malik Willis #128, so a one-for-one is close to even. Run the exact deal through the free AI Trade Analyzer for a verdict on your league's scoring.