# Pat Fitzmaurice: FantasyPros' Fitz lays out their 2026 draft strategy, fading early-round quarterbacks (Josh Allen) and Trey McBride, warning off Quinshon Judkins as a volume trap and Jerry Jeudy entirely, while touting middle-round QBs (Purdy, Herbert, Lawrence), tight ends (Kraft, Fannin, Pitts) and Packers WR Christian Watson as values. **Claimed:** Aug 30, 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/fantasy-football-draft-advice-expert-strategy-for-2026/ 11 checkable claims — 7 sleeper calls and 4 fantasy bust calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 14 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > Quinshon Judkins looks like a volume trap. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (a late-eighth-round ADP)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Brock Purdy - Verdict: not settled yet - **Quinshon Judkins to fall short of his draft cost (a midrange or low-end RB2)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tucker Kraft to outplay his draft cost (a sixth-round ADP)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Justin Herbert to outplay his draft cost (an ADP of QB9 and is going in the back half of the seventh round)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Justin Herbert - Verdict: not settled yet - **Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (an ADP of QB10 and is coming off the board around the seventh-round/eighth-round turn)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Trevor Lawrence - Verdict: not settled yet - **Trey McBride to fall short of his draft cost (the first four rounds)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Trey McBride - Verdict: not settled yet - **Harold Fannin Jr. to outplay his draft cost (around the sixth-round/seventh-round turn)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Josh Allen to fall short of his draft cost (a late-third-round ADP)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Josh Allen - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kyle Pitts to outplay his draft cost (being drafted in the seventh round)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Christian Watson to outplay his draft cost (the sixth round of 12-team drafts)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jerry Jeudy to fall short of his draft cost (the late rounds)** - Kind: Fantasy Bust Calls · About: Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Brock Purdy — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brock-purdy - Quinshon Judkins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/quinshon-judkins - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns - Tucker Kraft — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tucker-kraft - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/packers - Justin Herbert — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/justin-herbert - Trevor Lawrence — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/trevor-lawrence - Trey McBride — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/trey-mcbride - Harold Fannin Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/harold-fannin-jr - Josh Allen — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/josh-allen - 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 - Jerry Jeudy — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jerry-jeudy ## What others said about the same people - Alex Curry on Kirk Cousins: Curry expects Fernando Mendoza to be taken No. 1 overall by the Raiders and to be thrown into the starting lineup immediately, and they say Kirk Cousins will be released by Atlanta within weeks. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2c6097f9-30ad-42dc-863f-e507225b7edc (scored 100) - Alex Curry on Kirk Cousins: Curry expects Fernando Mendoza to be the No. 1 overall pick and land with the Raiders, and they say Kirk Cousins will be released by Atlanta. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1c269ea1-7c35-4039-827d-ec1130aa0e04 (scored 100) - JP Acosta on Kirk Cousins: Acosta expects John Harbaugh's Giants to jump to roughly seven wins in year one, and forecast several offseason moves: Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh, Daniel Jones returning to the Colts, Kirk Cousins being released by Atlanta, and Brandon Aiyuk leaving San Francisco. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/17ab1ec5-a2f1-41c6-a6df-a0e6d949351b (scored 100) - Gregg Rosenthal on Kirk Cousins: Rosenthal gave their award ballot: Drake May atop their MVP list (though they expect Matthew Stafford to actually win), Myles Garrett for Defensive Player of the Year, Bijan Robinson for Offensive Player of the Year, Tetairoa McMillan for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Carson Schwesinger for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mike Macdonald for Coach of the Year and Broncos O-line coach Zach Strief for Assistant Coach of the Year. They also expect Kirk Cousins to be cut by Atlanta. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d3a0da31-6e2f-4298-b5a5-b887333d3fd6 (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Myles Garrett: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b61b90d2-d027-4022-b57a-d30ac36f21bc (scored 100) - Parker Hurley on Jessie Bates: Hurley argues a Jessie Bates trade to San Francisco is unrealistic because Atlanta remains in the weak NFC South race and likely won't sell, and they expect 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown to depart in free agency after this season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7e8279a5-fad4-4c61-9646-0809bdcdaf40 (scored 0) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Derek Brown on Travis Hunter: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/effe2fda-3dcb-489f-a1e1-f8fa5b11ada7 (scored 100) - Tom Strachan on Ricky Pearsall: Tom Strachan backed Xavier Worthy, Jalen Coker, Egbuka, Jalen Waddle, Darnell Mooney, Zay Flowers, George Pickens, DeVonta Smith and Travis Hunter as values at their draft costs, while avoiding Jerry Jeudy and the Cleveland receivers. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c42eacc5-eb10-4103-a94d-50545a487cbb (scored 100) - Ryan Wormeli on Ricky Pearsall: Host Ryan Warmley endorsed Ricky Pearsall as a bet worth making and put their rookie-receiver capital in Tetairoa McMillan, while fading Zay Flowers at their cost and opting out of Marvin Harrison Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/192d6e67-2e0e-49b3-bc82-4c8a77bd5950 (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: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c3c95c1c-64a4-42b6-9389-58d5fb5b27d1 (scored 0) - Ryan Wormeli on Tetairoa McMillan: Hosting the segment, Warmley backed Bryce Young to finish better than their 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 100) --- 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