Pat Fitzmaurice· Aug 30, 2026
FantasyPros' Fitz lays out his 2026 draft strategy, fading early-round quarterbacks (Josh Allen) and Trey McBride, warning off Quinshon Judkins as a volume trap and Jerry Jeudy entirely, while touting middle-round QBs (Purdy, Herbert, Lawrence), tight ends (Kraft, Fannin, Pitts) and Packers WR Christian Watson as values.
“Quinshon Judkins looks like a volume trap.”
published in writing · FantasyPros · read the original →
13 checkable claims — 8 sleeper calls and 5 fantasy bust calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 17 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
13 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Sleeper CallsHarold Fannin Jr.Cleveland BrownsAug 30, 2026
Harold Fannin Jr. to outplay his draft cost (around the sixth-round/seventh-round turn)
“Harold Fannin is coming off the board around the sixth-round/seventh-round turn... there are some gems to be mined at tight end in the middle rounds.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsD'Andre SwiftChicago BearsAug 30, 2026
D'Andre Swift to outplay his draft cost
“it's worth leaning into the Chicago backfield... I would rather have D'Andre Swift than Quinshon Judkins, even though Judkins is expected to have more touches.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsKyle PittsAtlanta FalconsAug 30, 2026
Kyle Pitts to outplay his draft cost (being drafted in the seventh round)
“The much-maligned Kyle Pitts is being drafted in the seventh round... the tight ends in Stefanski's Cleveland offenses averaged 164.3 targets over the last three seasons.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Fantasy Bust CallsTrey McBrideAug 30, 2026
Trey McBride to fall short of his draft cost (the first four rounds)
“There are three tight ends guaranteed to land in the first four rounds: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, and Colston Loveland. I'm willing to draft Bowers and Loveland at cost, but not McBride.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsBrock PurdyAug 30, 2026
Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (a late-eighth-round ADP)
“Brock Purdy has a late-eighth-round ADP... I would rather have a Brock Purdy/Ladd McConkey combo than a Josh Allen/Michael Wilson combo.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Fantasy Bust CallsJosh AllenAug 30, 2026
Josh Allen to fall short of his draft cost (a late-third-round ADP)
“Under no circumstances will I draft a quarterback in the first four rounds of a 1QB league... Allen has a late-third-round ADP. He's being drafted just ahead of Ladd McConkey.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsJustin HerbertAug 30, 2026
Justin Herbert to outplay his draft cost (an ADP of QB9 and is going in the back half of the seventh round)
“Justin Herbert has an ADP of QB9 and is going in the back half of the seventh round... the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel could help unlock the sort of big passing numbers that Herbert produced in his first three seasons.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Quinshon Judkins to fall short of his draft cost (a midrange or low-end RB2)
“Judkins is being drafted as a midrange or low-end RB2... the constraints of the Cleveland offense will almost certainly limit his touchdowns and hinder his efficiency. Quinshon Judkins looks like a volume trap.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Fantasy Bust CallsJerry JeudyCleveland BrownsAug 30, 2026
Jerry Jeudy to fall short of his draft cost (the late rounds)
“But there is no reason to draft Jeudy in 2026. The Browns just spent early-round draft picks on WRs KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsChristian WatsonGreen Bay PackersAug 30, 2026
Christian Watson to outplay his draft cost (the sixth round of 12-team drafts)
“On a recent podcast, I touted Packers WR Christian Watson as a high-upside player worth pursuing... Risk aversion typically drops Watson into the sixth round of 12-team drafts. That's appealing value”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsTrevor LawrenceAug 30, 2026
Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (an ADP of QB10 and is coming off the board around the seventh-round/eighth-round turn)
“Trevor Lawrence has an ADP of QB10 and is coming off the board around the seventh-round/eighth-round turn... The middle rounds are loaded with quality fantasy quarterbacks.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Fantasy Bust CallsSamaje PerineAug 30, 2026
Samaje Perine to fall short of his draft cost
“But Perine has no stand-alone value and would be nothing more than an insurance policy – and probably a bad one”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Sleeper CallsTucker KraftGreen Bay PackersAug 30, 2026
Tucker Kraft to outplay his draft cost (a sixth-round ADP)
“Tucker Kraft has a sixth-round ADP... should be a key contributor to the Green Bay passing game.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Ralph VacchianoDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta.
- Steven RuizDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier.
- Mike FlorioDepth Chart Calls · Shedeur SandersMiss · 0Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3.
- Paul KerenDepth Chart Calls · Teven JenkinsMiss · 0Keren says Teven Jenkins still projects as Cleveland's Week 1 starting right guard despite a push from KT Leveston, and that Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams will be the Browns' lead linebackers.
- Mike MoraitisDepth Chart Calls · Ozzy TrapiloMiss · 0Moraitis writes that although Braxton Jones has looked like the favorite, Ozzy Trapilo is likely to take over as the Bears' starting left tackle once he's healthy enough to play.
- Pete MartuneacDepth Chart Calls · Ozzy TrapiloMiss · 0After Trapilo's activation from the PUP list roughly seven months after rupturing his patellar tendon, Martuneac says the Bears' left tackle competition is over and Trapilo will be starting at left tackle early in the 2026 season, even if not by Week 1.
More sleeper calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Matt Money SmithSleeper Calls · Tre HarrisMiss · 0Smith 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.
- Brandon CarneySleeper Calls · Javonte WilliamsHit · 100Carney 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.
- Chad Ochocinco JohnsonSleeper Calls · Saquon BarkleyMiss · 0Johnson 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.
- Ross JacksonSleeper Calls · Devaughn VeleMiss · 0Ross 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.
- Greg CosellSleeper Calls · Omarion HamptonMiss · 0Cosell 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.
- Andrew EricksonSleeper Calls · Malik NabersMiss · 0Erickson 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.