# Tom Strachan: In his Week 2 start/sit column, Strachan flags Tony Pollard, Baker Mayfield and Tetairoa McMillan as risky plays to be wary of, while endorsing Derrick Henry, Justin Jefferson and Chuba Hubbard as safe starts, and calls Hubbard the clear No. 1 back in Carolina.

**Claimed:** Sep 16, 2026
**Pundit:** Tom Strachan — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/tom-strachan
**Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fantasypros
**How it reached us:** published in writing
**Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/09/fantasy-football-start-sit-advice-safe-risky-picks-week-2-2026/

7 checkable claims — 3 fantasy bust calls, 3 sleeper calls and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 11 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.

> You should feel very good about rostering Henry right now.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Tony Pollard to fall short of his draft cost**
  - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Derrick Henry to outplay his draft cost**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Justin Jefferson to outplay his draft cost**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Baker Mayfield to fall short of his draft cost**
  - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Tetairoa McMillan to fall short of his draft cost**
  - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Chuba Hubbard to outplay his draft cost**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Chuba Hubbard to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Tony Pollard — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tony-pollard
- Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/titans
- Derrick Henry — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/derrick-henry
- Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/ravens
- Justin Jefferson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/justin-jefferson
- Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/vikings
- Baker Mayfield — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/baker-mayfield
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers
- Tetairoa McMillan — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tetairoa-mcmillan
- Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/panthers
- Chuba Hubbard — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/chuba-hubbard

## 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)
- Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice touts Kyler Murray as a value QB who will start Week 1 for Minnesota, Tyler Shough as the Saints' undisputed starter, and Juwan Johnson and Terrance Ferguson as late-round tight end targets. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/70a7844a-2fb6-44d7-814f-30ec9fbcc26d (scored 100)
- Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to be Minnesota's Week 1 starter and calls him one of the better quarterback values in 2026 drafts; he also views Jordan Love as a top-10 real-life quarterback but only a QB2 in fantasy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0653fc24-437c-4aba-89ee-f1f417e1983d (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)
- Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to open the season as Minnesota's starting quarterback and to be one of the better quarterback values in 2026 fantasy drafts, and he likewise likes Tyler Shough as New Orleans' entrenched starter with an easy schedule. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/18bf77c0-c921-4593-997e-8405355274e9 (scored 100)

## More fantasy bust calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Mike Harmon on Joe Burrow: Harmon gave his Week 18 fantasy rankings — top five quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers — plus lists of 'hot plays,' 'cold sores' (players to avoid) and 'ninjas' (sneaky plays), and said Trevor Lawrence would land around a top-four fantasy quarterback finish for the season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e2e20c82-d482-48e6-90f3-929d0862fc0d (scored 100)
- Ryan Wormeli on Ashton Jeanty: Warmley predicted Kyle Pitts and Trey McBride both finish as top-five tight ends in the Cardinals-Falcons game, Justin Jefferson bounces back into the top 15 receivers, Quinshen Judkins finishes top 12 against Buffalo, the Ravens beat the Patriots, and the Raiders produce no startable fantasy players against Houston. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/7c3c1a97-4a04-4870-8118-181815ff8c47 (scored 0)
- Patrick Claybon on Aaron Rodgers: Claibon says Aaron Rodgers' deep-passing outburst was a one-week product of Baltimore's defense and won't continue, still endorses starting Jacoby Brissett in a tough Houston matchup, and picks Devon Achane as the top running back and AJ Brown as the top receiver for Week 15. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/13d54729-d582-4201-9440-31f8510c7305 (scored 100)
- Marcas Grant on Michael Pittman: Grant calls Christian Watson the Packers' clear No. 1 receiver and RJ Harvey Denver's lead back, while labeling Mike Gesicki's and Tony Pollard's big weeks mirages to avoid; he also wants no part of Colts pass catchers with Philip Rivers signing. For Week 15 he picks Matthew Stafford as the top quarterback and Puka Nacua among the top receivers. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d990340b-36f2-4842-81d8-d08a5f3db65a (scored 0)
- Andrew Erickson on Cooper Kupp: Erickson reiterated his prediction that Jordan Mason will lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns, backed the Broncos to blow out the Titans in Week 1, called Garrett Wilson a sell and Jacoby Myers a buy-low, expects little from Cooper Kupp, and made several depth-chart calls (Thornton starting in New England, Myers as Vegas' No. 1 receiver, Croskey-Merritt eventually taking the Commanders' 'A back' role). — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/3809e587-6fa2-464b-ab98-fd96d353c1bd (scored 100)
- Derek Brown on Xavier Worthy: Derek Brown ("Debro") laid out a slate of wide receiver breakouts — Ricky Pearsall, Jalen Coker, Egbuka, Jalen Waddle, Joshua Palmer, George Pickens, DeVonta Smith and Travis Hunter — while fading Xavier Worthy, Tyreek Hill and the cheap Cleveland/late-round types, and gave his own rankings well ahead of ADP for several of them. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/effe2fda-3dcb-489f-a1e1-f8fa5b11ada7 (scored 100)

---

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=tom-strachan
