# Pat Fitzmaurice: Fitzmaurice plants his flag on Bucky Irving, Blake Corum and Brock Bowers for 2026, arguing Irving is being wrongly faded, Corum is a cheap high-upside handcuff behind Kyren Williams, and Bowers is worth a late-second-round price. **Claimed:** Sep 4, 2026 **Pundit:** Pat Fitzmaurice — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/pat-fitzmaurice **Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fantasypros **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/09/9-fantasy-football-must-have-picks-flag-plants-for-2026/ 4 checkable claims — 3 sleeper calls and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room. > It seems like everyone in the fantasy community is fading Bucky Irving, but I'm buying. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Brock Bowers to outplay his draft cost (anywhere in the back half of the second round in 12-team drafts)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Blake Corum to outplay his draft cost (his current ADP of RB34 and 96th overall)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Bucky Irving to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Blake Corum to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Brock Bowers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/brock-bowers - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Blake Corum — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/blake-corum - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/rams - Bucky Irving — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/bucky-irving - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers ## What others said about the same people - Chris Brockman on Baker Mayfield: Brockman's season-preview overreactions: Fernando Mendoza becomes an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist; Dak Prescott wins MVP and the Cowboys win the Super Bowl; Jesse Minter's Ravens win the AFC North; C.J. Stroud leads Houston to the AFC's No. 1 seed; Jonathan Taylor approaches 2,000 rushing yards; Baker Mayfield wins the NFC South, goes 12-5 and reaches the NFC title game while landing a $60 million-per-year deal; and Aaron Rodgers throws 35-plus touchdowns as the Steelers go 11-6 and win the North. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d508736e-a824-4fa0-854c-df4ebdd9ef02 (scored 100) - Jon Gruden on Baker Mayfield: The former Buccaneers head coach predicted that Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield are closer on a new contract than believed and that an extension will get done. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/10bb8ff2-886c-488e-b693-fb4ea9dd5880 (scored 100) - Joel Corry on Baker Mayfield: The unsigned CBS Sports analysis lays out the contract it believes Tampa Bay will have to give Mayfield at minimum: a two-year extension averaging $50 million per year with $110 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a840ff4-f1e5-48ca-bec6-ba41e9ef2396 (scored 100) - Fernando Alfaro-Donis on Kayshon Boutte: Argues the Raiders' weakest spot is their receiver room, expects Jalen Nailor to take a big step forward in Klint Kubiak's scheme with Kirk Cousins starting before Fernando Mendoza takes over, and suggests Las Vegas should trade a mid-round pick for Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte, who would immediately become their top option. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b988191f-a153-4f4b-a1b8-7b5a7a18265c (scored 0) - Brandon Carney on Stefon Diggs: Carney drafted a team of rookies he expects to make an immediate fantasy impact (headlined by Karnell Tate and Makai Lemon), predicted landing spots for the remaining big-name free agents, and gave way-too-early division winners, wild cards and award picks — Patriots, Chargers, Bengals, Jaguars, Eagles, Rams, Vikings and Saints as division champs with Joe Burrow as MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c4d477da-4fb8-4a25-a904-c5057a249a70 (scored 0) - Danny Parkins on Trey Hendrickson: Parkins predicts Fernando Mendoza goes No. 1 overall to the Raiders, Trey Hendrickson signs in Tampa, Michael Penix Jr. wins Atlanta's QB competition, Jared Wilson takes over at center in New England, Mike Evans reaches 1,000 yards, and the Bears lose Byard and Brisker. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ca8ddcc3-733b-4a44-92b9-b90577e59c9c (scored 0) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Matt Money Smith on Tre Harris: Smith says Ladd McConkie is a legitimate No. 1 receiver who could post a Jaylen Waddle-like season of roughly 1,700 yards and eight touchdowns, and he predicts second-year Chargers receiver Trey Harris will have a big year under Mike McDaniel. He also expects Philip Rivers to become an NFL head coach and thinks the Chargers offense will be good in the coming season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1f779ee4-78d9-4f01-a069-bcd0ef45fc72 (scored 0) - Brandon Carney on Javonte Williams: Carney predicted AJ Brown would not be back with the Eagles, forecast a wave of free-agent landing spots (Breece Hall to the Chiefs, Alec Pierce to the 49ers, Rico Dowdle to the Saints, George Pickens to the Patriots, Mike Evans to the Bills), and named Week 1 starting quarterbacks for several teams in flux. He also gave fantasy takes on Javonte Williams, Chris Olave and others. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9337347d-fde9-46c9-9bb6-26ade467538b (scored 100) - Chad Ochocinco Johnson on Saquon Barkley: Johnson says the Steelers aren't legitimate Super Bowl contenders even with Aaron Rodgers back, and that Saquon Barkley can have a bounce-back season in year nine with the Eagles competing for a championship if the offensive line stays healthy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd0eab3d-1392-41f3-a9b6-026860f9ffa5 (scored 0) - Ross Jackson on Devaughn Vele: Ross Jackson agreed to the same Saints mock draft board — Jeremiah Love at eight, Akeem Mesador in the second, Keonte Scott at 73, Keelan Rutledge and Ted Hurst in the fourth, Xavien Harris at 148, Aaron Anderson in the fifth and Bryce Boettcher in the sixth — and also called Devon Vellet a 2026 breakout candidate. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b4c58f9f-23b8-4857-8505-17c213d3a342 (scored 0) - Greg Cosell on Omarion Hampton: Cosell expects the Nick Bonito vs. Will Campbell matchup to be pivotal, predicts Caleb Williams' future is bright, expects the Chargers' run game to improve dramatically under Mike McDaniel with a good season from Omarion Hampton, and expects Sean Payton not to hide Stidham. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/26c1330e-ee04-42a9-b29d-d6f0cc6bab6a (scored 0) - Andrew Erickson on Malik Nabers: Erickson gave his 2026 first-round board, leaning on running backs early with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja'Marr Chase as his WR1 and Christian McCaffrey slipping to 12. He also touted Malik Nabers as a buying opportunity, projected big touchdown numbers for Burrow and Chase, and called Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/abd0628c-1338-467b-9ac3-d89c922468eb (scored 0) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=pat-fitzmaurice