Joshua PoniatowskiAug 29, 2026
Poniatowski advocates waiting on quarterback in 2026 fantasy drafts and names five late-round QB targets they believe will outperform their draft cost: Trevor Lawrence, Jaxson Dart, Brock Purdy, Malik Willis and Kyler Murray, with Purdy pegged as a top-10 QB and Murray projected to finish QB10 or better.
Published in writing · FantasyProsRead the original
What Joshua Poniatowski said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromHe has a legitimate path to a QB10 finish or better.
- Where it was published
- FantasyPros
- The piece
- 5 Late-Round Quarterbacks to Target (2026 Fantasy Football)
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (late-round)“Lawrence has an elite offensive head coach, a solid offensive line, a high-quality pass-catching room and one of the easier schedules for quarterbacks. He is one of the safer late-round quarterbacks and carries plenty of upside.”
- 2Brock Purdy to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points“He is a top-10 quarterback who has rarely played with a healthy team.”
- 3Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart“but he is still a significant upgrade over J.J. McCarthy ... The one glaring concern is that McCarthy might eventually take over if the Vikings can't find a way to win games.”
- 4Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (the later rounds)“This alone gives Brock Purdy a safe floor as a top-10 signal-caller in the later rounds.”
- 5Kyler Murray to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points“He has a legitimate path to a QB10 finish or better.”
- 6Malik Willis to outplay his draft cost (the last round of your draft)“At his current average draft position (ADP), Malik Willis is practically free. Of all the quarterbacks I have mentioned, he carries the most upside at cost.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (late-round)1 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Brock Purdy to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points2 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (the later rounds)4 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Kyler Murray to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points5 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Malik Willis to outplay his draft cost (the last round of your draft)6 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 6 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
6 checkable claims — 3 sleeper calls, 2 positional finishes and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
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.
Where this call stands in the room
Kyler Murray · 2026 season14 calls from 13 pundits between 1 and 2. Joshua Poniatowski said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
1Sleeper CallsTrevor LawrenceJacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (late-round)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Positional FinishesBrock PurdySan Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsKyler MurrayMinnesota Vikings
Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Sleeper CallsBrock PurdySan Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (the later rounds)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Positional FinishesKyler MurrayMinnesota Vikings
Kyler Murray to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Sleeper CallsMalik WillisMiami Dolphins
Malik Willis to outplay his draft cost (the last round of your draft)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.Charean Williams · Roster Spot Calls · Odell Beckham Jr. · Miss 0
Williams writes that after releasing Odell Beckham Jr. to open a roster spot for Kirk Cousins, the Vikings will bring them back on the practice squad.Justin Penik · Trade and Signing Calls · Aaron Jones · Hit 100
Pennock predicted Sam Darnold to Pittsburgh, Zach Baun re-signing in Philadelphia, Charvarius Ward and Jamien Sherwood to Washington, Cam Robinson to Chicago as left tackle, Cam Bynum to the Jets, Darius Slayton to the Chargers, Aaron Jones back to Minnesota and Aaron Rodgers to the Giants.
More sleeper calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Derek Brown · Sleeper Calls · Jalen Coker · Hit 100
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 · Sleeper Calls · Tyler Warren · 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.Pat Fitzmaurice · Sleeper Calls · Rashee Rice · Miss 0
Pat Fitzmaurice gave draft-or-pass calls: reluctant drafts on Christian McCaffrey, RJ Harvey, Tetairoa McMillan (their WR16), Rashee Rice at a ninth-round price, Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez, Chris Olave, Drake Maye (their QB8) and Tyler Warren, with passes on Breece Hall, Joe Mixon, Croskey-Merritt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Hunter, the Rams receivers and Justin Fields.Joe Pisapia · Sleeper Calls · RJ Harvey · Hit 100
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.