C.J. Stroud's arm and a reeling Cleveland defense collide as the Texans try to make it two straight.
Houston enters at 3-5 on a one-game winning streak after taking down the Los Angeles Chargers 44-22 in Week 9. Cleveland sits at 5-4 but has dropped two in a row, falling 22-23 in overtime at New Orleans last week after a 6-27 loss at Pittsburgh the week before that.
Game details
| When | Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET |
| Where | Huntington Bank Field |
| TV | Fox |
| Line | Houston Texans -4.5 | O/U 40.5 (market view) |
| Houston Texans record | 3-5 |
| Cleveland Browns record | 5-4 |
The matchup
According to the NFL, Stroud became just the fourth quarterback under age 26 with multiple games of 350-plus passing yards and five-plus touchdown passes in a season after his Week 9 line of 21-of-35 for 384 yards and five touchdowns with a 125.5 rating. He ranks fourth in the AFC in passing yards with 2,251 and fifth in touchdown passes with 16, and he's chasing his fourth straight road game with 260-plus passing yards, a touchdown pass and a rating of 105 or better.
The receiving numbers back up the quarterback play. Kayshon Boutte posted a career-high 125 receiving yards with two touchdowns last week, Tank Dell hit a season-high 105 yards and caught his first touchdown of the year, and Nico Collins is working on an eight-game road streak of 55-plus scrimmage yards while chasing a third straight touchdown catch against Cleveland. Woody Marks, meanwhile, is bidding for a fifth straight game with 70-plus scrimmage yards after his own season-high 70 rushing yards. On the other side, Harold Fannin Jr. has a touchdown catch in six of his past seven games at home, and Denzel Boston leads all rookies in receiving yards with 507 after a career-high 98-yard effort in Week 9.
Key matchups
Stroud against a Cleveland secondary led by Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell is the headline. Ward ranks tied for first in the AFC and tied for fifth in the NFL with nine passes defended this season and is chasing a fifth straight game with one, while Campbell forced a fumble and made seven tackles last week. Houston's receiving trio of Collins, Dell and Boutte will test that group throughout.
Up front, Will Anderson Jr. leads the NFL with 9.5 sacks and has two-plus sacks in three of his past four road games, putting pressure on Deshaun Watson behind an offensive line trying to protect him. Sheldon Rankins added two sacks of his own last week. For Cleveland, Carson Schwesinger comes off a 15-tackle, two-sack, forced-fumble game and ranks third in the league with 89 tackles, while Quincy Williams is chasing a sixth straight game with five-plus tackles against a Houston backfield that leans on Marks. Cleveland's rookie wideouts, Boston and KC Concepcion, who ranks tied for first among rookies with 37 receptions, will lean on Fannin to stress a Texans secondary that includes Derek Stingley Jr., fresh off three passes defended and his first interception of the season, and Kamari Lassiter, who has a pass defended in four of his past five.
Injuries that matter
Houston is without linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (groin), tight end Brevin Jordan (finger), guard Keylan Rutledge (neck) and defensive end Danielle Hunter (hamstring). Running back David Montgomery (groin), linebacker Jake Hummel (groin), cornerback Jaylin Smith (hamstring), guard Wyatt Teller (illness) and tackle Trent Brown (wrist) are all questionable.
Cleveland is missing fullback Michael Burton (calf) and safety Ronnie Hickman (concussion), with wide receiver Denzel Boston listed as questionable with a toe injury. Cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Donovan McMillon were both limited in practice, with no game status attached yet.
Fantasy angles
C.J. Stroud carries the highest projection in this game at 19.5 DraftKings points, and the matchup against a Cleveland defense that's allowed plenty through the air makes him a strong starting option.
Nico Collins projects for 12.0 points and is chasing a third straight touchdown catch against the Browns, giving him real red-zone equity in addition to his usual target share.
Deshaun Watson projects for 14.0 points for Cleveland and remains the clear passing-game hub for the Browns in this one.
Harold Fannin Jr. projects for 10.0 points and has found the end zone in six of his past seven home games, making him a steady source of goal-line looks.
Quinshon Judkins projects for 9.0 points and is the early-down back Cleveland will lean on to try to control the clock against a Houston front that's been getting after the passer.
The pick
The market has Houston as a 4.5-point favorite with a total of 40.5, and the market's expected score sits at Texans 23, Browns 18. With Stroud playing at a historic level and Anderson's pass rush humming, Houston has the edge on paper against a Browns team that's lost two straight.
Cleveland's rookie receivers and Fannin give it scoring punch, and Denzel Ward's coverage ability could keep things closer than the spread suggests, especially with drizzle and wind in the forecast at Huntington Bank Field. But the Texans' recent form and the quarterback play gap make them the team to trust here.
Injury report
| Player | Team | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azeez Al-Shaair | Houston Texans | LB | Out |
| Brevin Jordan | Houston Texans | TE | Out |
| David Montgomery | Houston Texans | RB | Questionable |
| Jake Hummel | Houston Texans | LB | Questionable |
| Jaylin Smith | Houston Texans | CB | Questionable |
| Keylan Rutledge | Houston Texans | OG | Out |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. | Houston Texans | WR | Out |
| Wyatt Teller | Houston Texans | OG | Questionable |
| Danielle Hunter | Houston Texans | DE | Out |
| Trent Brown | Houston Texans | OT | Questionable |
| Denzel Boston | Cleveland Browns | WR | Questionable |
| Michael Burton | Cleveland Browns | FB | Out |
| Ronnie Hickman | Cleveland Browns | S | Out |
| Denzel Ward | Cleveland Browns | CB | Limited in practice (no game status yet) |
| Donovan McMillon | Cleveland Browns | S | Limited in practice (no game status yet) |
Depth chart
Offense
| Pos | Houston Texans | Cleveland Browns |
|---|---|---|
| QB | C.J. Stroud | Deshaun Watson |
| RB | Woody Marks | Quinshon Judkins |
| WR | Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell | Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, Jerry Jeudy |
| TE | Dalton Schultz | Harold Fannin Jr. |
| LT | Aireontae Ersery | Spencer Fano |
| LG | Keylan Rutledge | Zion Johnson |
| C | Evan Brown | Elgton Jenkins |
| RG | Ed Ingram | Austin Barber |
| RT | Trent Brown | Tytus Howard |
| FB | — | Michael Burton |
Defense
| Pos | Houston Texans | Cleveland Browns |
|---|---|---|
| LDE | Will Anderson Jr. | Isaiah McGuire |
| LDT | Tommy Togiai | Mason Graham |
| RDT | Sheldon Rankins | Maliek Collins |
| RDE | Danielle Hunter | Jared Verse |
| WLB | Henry To'oTo'o | Easton Mascarenas-Arnold |
| MLB | Azeez Al-Shaair | Carson Schwesinger |
| SLB | Jake Hansen | Quincy Williams |
| LCB | Derek Stingley Jr. | Denzel Ward |
| RCB | Kamari Lassiter | Tyson Campbell |
| NB | Jalen Pitre | Myles Harden |
| SS | Reed Blankenship | Grant Delpit |
| FS | Calen Bullock | Ronnie Hickman |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Houston Texans | Wk9 W 44-22 vs Los Angeles Chargers, Wk7 L 21-27 vs New York Giants, Wk6 W 34-31 vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Cleveland Browns | Wk9 L 22-23 vs New Orleans Saints, Wk8 L 6-27 vs Pittsburgh Steelers, Wk7 W 27-24 vs Tennessee Titans |
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.