Pat Fitzmaurice#8 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 16, 2026
Fitz avoids Quinshon Judkins at their mid-fifth-round price given the injury, weak Browns offense and remade line, and fades Rico Dowdle, predicting Jaylen Warren is Pittsburgh's primary back with Dowdle in a smaller role.
Published in writing · FantasyProsRead the original
What Pat Fitzmaurice said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromMy money is on Warren as Pittsburgh’s primary running back this year, and it’s possible Dowdle has a smaller role than some expect.
- Where it was published
- FantasyPros
- The piece
- Fantasy Football Do Not Draft List: 5 Players to Avoid (2026)
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Rico Dowdle to fall short of his draft cost (RB32, 86th overall)“it’s possible Dowdle has a smaller role than some expect”
- 2Rico Dowdle to be 2nd on the depth chart“My money is on Warren as Pittsburgh’s primary running back this year, and it’s possible Dowdle has a smaller role than some expect.”
- 3Jaylen Warren to be 1st on the depth chart“My money is on Warren as Pittsburgh’s primary running back this year”
- 4Quinshon Judkins to fall short of his draft cost (the middle of the fifth round)“Judkins’ current ADP has him coming off the board in the middle of the fifth round, which isn’t egregious. But you’d probably be better off with one of the receivers available in that range”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle to fall short of his draft cost (RB32, 86th overall)1 | Fantasy Bust Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Rico Dowdle to be 2nd on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jaylen Warren to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Quinshon Judkins to fall short of his draft cost (the middle of the fifth round)4 | Fantasy Bust Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 4 calls · 4 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
4 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls and 2 fantasy bust calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 1.
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
Rico Dowdle · 2026 season10 calls from 9 pundits between 1 and 2. Pat Fitzmaurice said 2. 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.
1Fantasy Bust CallsRico DowdlePittsburgh Steelers
Rico Dowdle to fall short of his draft cost (RB32, 86th overall)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Depth Chart CallsRico DowdlePittsburgh Steelers
Rico Dowdle to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsJaylen WarrenPittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Fantasy Bust CallsQuinshon JudkinsCleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins to fall short of his draft cost (the middle of the fifth round)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Bryan DeArdo · Trade and Signing Calls · Joey Porter Jr. · Miss 0
The piece predicts Joey Porter Jr. most likely stays with the Steelers through 2026, while listing possible trade destinations if they were moved.Rich Eisen · Trade and Signing Calls · Myles Garrett · Hit 100
Discussing Myles Garrett's trade request, Eisen said they expect Garrett to get their way and be moved out of Cleveland rather than stay, which is why staying would be shocking.Doug Joubert · Score Predictions · Cleveland Browns · Miss 26
Joubert picks the Browns to win 28-17, saying the Saints haven't improved over the first half of the season despite Cleveland starting Shedeur Sanders.Pat McAfee · Game Outcome Picks · Cleveland Browns · Miss 0
McAfee picked the Browns, with Shedeur Sanders starting, to beat the Saints in New Orleans.Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.Jacob Herlin · Depth Chart Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Herlin published Week 7 fantasy D/ST rankings with projections for 28 team defenses, led by Houston, Minnesota and Cleveland. They also expect Cleveland to post a fourth straight top-10 fantasy defense result, and predicts Jalon Daniels starts another week for Tampa Bay while J.J. McCarthy takes over as the Giants' starter.