# Tom Strachan: In a draft-strategy piece for the 1.03 pick, Strachan predicts Ja'Marr Chase will again finish as the overall WR1, while naming Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor as players to avoid at that pick. **Claimed:** Aug 9, 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/2026/08/fantasy-football-mock-draft-how-to-approach-pick-1-03-advice-2026/ 3 checkable claims — 2 fantasy bust calls and 1 positional finishe — 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. > Lock Chase in for another WR1 overall season. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Christian McCaffrey to fall short of his draft cost (1.03)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jonathan Taylor to fall short of his draft cost (the third overall pick)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ja'Marr Chase to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Christian McCaffrey — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/christian-mccaffrey - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Jonathan Taylor — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jonathan-taylor - Indianapolis Colts — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/colts - Ja'Marr Chase — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/ja-marr-chase - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bengals ## What others said about the same people - Bucky Brooks on Keenan Allen: Brooks predicted J.J. McCarthy won't be on the Vikings' roster (traded or released), said Kyler Murray wins the Vikings' QB competition, made a series of 2025 award picks, made 2026 Heisman/draft projections including Arch Manning as the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick, and said none of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow win a championship this season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/10c3797b-f9e0-41ca-a2a3-5d765a242a79 (scored 100) - Noah Compton on C.J. Allen: After watching the Colts' eleventh training camp practice, Compton says rookie linebacker CJ Allen is still expected to start the regular-season opener, identifies Alec Pierce as the team's top receiver and Cam Taylor-Britt as the first cornerback behind the starting trio, and declares the kicking job Blake Grupe's to lose. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/98a8bd92-bcd8-4b5a-aad7-96ecd936662b (scored 0) - Mike Tannenbaum on Stefon Diggs: Tannenbaum argues the Chiefs should lean on the run game early while Mahomes recovers, says the Bills haven't done enough at receiver and would repeat their playoff shortcoming, expects AJ Brown to have a massive impact in New England, thinks George Pickens will earn a big raise, and offers free-agent fits: Deebo Samuel to Buffalo, Joey Bosa to Tampa Bay, Taylor Decker to Houston, and Stefon Diggs to San Francisco. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f7a29c18-face-49c0-b84f-33715b4c6678 (scored 0) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Trey Hendrickson: Fitzmorris made picks 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 in the 2026 mock, ranked the top three receiver prospects Tate-Lemon-Tyson, said Caleb Downs won't fall to Day 2, and predicted Trey Hendrickson won't be back in Cincinnati. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c3d0242f-bda2-45fd-82b3-7782bd29c69f (scored 0) - Evan Silva on San Francisco 49ers: In his 2020 fantasy defense/special teams rankings, Silva puts the Steelers first, the 49ers second and the Ravens third, citing pass rush, favorable early schedules and game scripts. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/180b1036-60e5-494b-9b4d-90b5dc3d6528 (scored 0) - Kevin Wildes on Indianapolis Colts: Wildes parlayed two upsets: Houston beating Buffalo and Indianapolis beating Baltimore, and had picked Dak Prescott as league MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f28f3fe2-4d14-4184-9168-052e865ecb0b (scored 0) ## More fantasy bust calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Mike Harmon on DJ Moore: 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 Tony Pollard: 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 100) - 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) - Ryan Wormeli on Zay Flowers: Host Ryan Warmley endorsed Ricky Pearsall as a bet worth making and put his rookie-receiver capital in Tetairoa McMillan, while fading Zay Flowers at his cost and opting out of Marvin Harrison Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/192d6e67-2e0e-49b3-bc82-4c8a77bd5950 (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=tom-strachan