Pat Fitzmaurice#8 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 4, 2026
Fitzmaurice names three players to avoid in 2026 fantasy drafts: Jalen Hurts (a fade at their midrange QB1 price because their rushing production has declined), De'Von Achane (not worth a second-round pick amid a bad Miami situation), and Brian Thomas Jr. (no bounce-back expected in a crowded Jacksonville target ecosystem).
Published in writing · FantasyProsRead the original
What Pat Fitzmaurice said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromWith sensational rushing yards no longer bankable, Hurts is a fade.
- Where it was published
- FantasyPros
- The piece
- 3 Players Experts Avoid (2026 Fantasy Football)
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 4, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
- 1De'Von Achane to fall short of his draft cost (the second round of fantasy football drafts)“It's possible Achane's talent overcomes the adverse conditions he faces in 2026, but that's not a bet I'm eager to make in the second round of fantasy football drafts.”
- 2Jalen Hurts to fall short of his draft cost (midrange QB1 price)“With sensational rushing yards no longer bankable, Hurts is a fade.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Von Achane to fall short of his draft cost (the second round of fantasy football drafts)1 | Fantasy Bust Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jalen Hurts to fall short of his draft cost (midrange QB1 price)2 | Fantasy Bust Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 2 calls · 2 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
2 checkable claims — 2 fantasy bust calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
1Fantasy Bust CallsDe'Von AchaneMiami Dolphins
De'Von Achane to fall short of his draft cost (the second round of fantasy football drafts)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Fantasy Bust CallsJalen HurtsPhiladelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts to fall short of his draft cost (midrange QB1 price)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
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Stanford Steve says Atlanta can beat San Francisco outright with Mike Evans out, and that Philadelphia probably wins its Monday night game.
More fantasy bust calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Derek Brown · Fantasy Bust Calls · Zay Flowers · Miss 0
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 their own rankings well ahead of ADP for several of them.Chris Welsh · Fantasy Bust Calls · Austin Ekeler · Hit 100
Welsh drafted Christian McCaffrey, Breece Hall, RJ Harvey, Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Hunter, the Rams and Saints receivers, Justin Fields (a top-10 QB), Drake Maye (QB10-14), Travis Kelce and Tyler Warren, while passing on Joe Mixon, the Commanders backfield, Tyreek Hill, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy.Joe Pisapia · Fantasy Bust Calls · Rashee Rice · Miss 0
Joey P (Joe Pisapia) played draft-or-pass on 2025 fantasy values: they passed on Christian McCaffrey at pick 7, Breece Hall, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Travis Hunter and Chris Olave, while drafting RJ Harvey, Tyreek Hill, Tetairoa McMillan, Puka Nacua, Tyler Warren and a late-round Joe Mixon.Simon Hunter · Fantasy Bust Calls · Tetairoa McMillan · Hit 100
Simon is drafting Ashton Jeanty in the late first/early second and is comfortable taking them in the first round, is all-in on DeVonta Adams with the Rams, and calls Puka Nacua one of the most overdrafted players who should not be taken in the first round.