# Pat Fitzmaurice: Fitzmaurice lists his favorite 2026 fantasy draft targets, arguing each will outperform their current draft cost: Trevor Lawrence and Brock Purdy at QB, Kenneth Walker III, Jeremiyah Love, Bucky Irving, Blake Corum and Jonathon Brooks at RB, Emeka Egbuka, Christian Watson and Makai Lemon at WR, and Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland and Kyle Pitts at TE. **Claimed:** Aug 20, 2026 **Pundit:** Pat Fitzmaurice — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/pat-fitzmaurice **Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fantasypros **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/08/top-fantasy-football-draft-picks-to-target-2026-fitz/ 13 checkable claims — 8 sleeper calls, 4 depth chart calls and 1 positional finishe — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 21 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 5 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 3. > There's a good chance we get a full Egbuka breakout in 2026. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (being drafted as a low-end QB1)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jeremiyah Love to outplay his draft cost (expert consensus ranking (ECR) as of this writing is RB13)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brock Bowers to outplay his draft cost (anywhere in the back half of the second round in 12-team drafts)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Blake Corum to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jonathon Brooks to outplay his draft cost (likely to be inexpensive in drafts)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Trevor Lawrence to finish top 10 at his position, by passing yards** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: too vague to check - **Kenneth Walker III to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Blake Corum to outplay his draft cost (his ADP as of this writing is RB34 (96th overall))** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers - 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 - **Colston Loveland to outplay his draft cost (the fourth round)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kyle Pitts to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian Watson to outplay his draft cost (his current cost assumes he'll miss a few games)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Trevor Lawrence — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/trevor-lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jaguars - Jeremiyah Love — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiyah-love - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Brock Bowers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brock-bowers - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Blake Corum — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/blake-corum - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams - Jonathon Brooks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jonathon-brooks - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers - Kenneth Walker III — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kenneth-walker-iii - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Brock Purdy — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brock-purdy - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Chuba Hubbard — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/chuba-hubbard - Colston Loveland — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/colston-loveland - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Kyle Pitts — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kyle-pitts - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Christian Watson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/christian-watson - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/packers ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Kansas City Chiefs: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Los Angeles Rams: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Las Vegas Raiders: Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Jacksonville Jaguars: Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Chris Simms on Green Bay Packers: Simms picked the Packers to beat the Falcons in the Thursday night game by a low score, expecting a defensive struggle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b12420c5-837c-4a24-8a8e-c74b10cc697c (scored 9.52) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Derek Brown on DeVonta Smith: 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.co/opinions/effe2fda-3dcb-489f-a1e1-f8fa5b11ada7 (scored 100) - Chris Welsh on Tyler Warren: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9f0f2132-f3b8-4813-b2b1-374b827d86a8 (scored 100) - Joe Pisapia on Tyreek Hill: Joey P (Joe Pisapia) played draft-or-pass on 2025 fantasy values: he 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c3c95c1c-64a4-42b6-9389-58d5fb5b27d1 (scored 0) - Derek Brown on George Pickens: Brown's five-to-one breakout list was Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Tucker Kraft, Ricky Pearsall, George Pickens and Tetairoa McMillan; he forecasts Brian Robinson Jr. being cut or traded, Kraft finishing as a top-five/six tight end, Pickens as a top-15 receiver and McMillan spiking for double-digit touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9d95277c-e110-411f-8934-9a1282c3286e (scored 100) - Jake Ciely on Braelon Allen: Counting down his top-five middle/late-round breakout candidates, Seely picked Bryce Young, Cedric Tillman, Braelon Allen, Marvin Mims and Rome Odunze, arguing Young can be a fringe QB1 with added rushing, Tillman and Mims are their teams' No. 2 receivers, and Caleb Williams will post a huge statistical season that lifts Odunze. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6b5a40bc-e349-48a1-ad37-18ee448ebe75 (scored 0) - Ryan Wormeli on Cedric Tillman: Hosting the segment, Warmley backed Bryce Young to finish better than his QB22 consensus ranking, endorsed Cedric Tillman as a late-round target, and said Tetairoa McMillan will be a top-15 fantasy receiver this season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2c695b79-bc5e-4d3f-8136-6705656267a2 (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.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.co/corrections?pundit=pat-fitzmaurice