Nathan Jahnke#72 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 18, 2026
A PFF fantasy piece names three running backs as breakout candidates at their current ADPs: Quinshon Judkins (top-15/top-20 season behind a rebuilt Browns line), Jonathon Brooks (leading the Panthers backfield), and Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Washington's primary early-down back with expanding receiving work).
Published in writing · Pro Football FocusRead the original
What Nathan Jahnke said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromThese three backs have a clear path to career-best seasons and are being drafted late enough to offer significant upside at their current ADPs.
- Where it was published
- Pro Football Focus
- The piece
- Fantasy Football: Breakout running backs for drafts
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Jacory Croskey-Merritt to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 10.12)“Croskey-Merritt has a much clearer path to carries than his 10th-round ADP suggests.”
- 2Jacory Croskey-Merritt to be 1st on the depth chart“Jacory Croskey-Merritt remains atop Washington's backfield ... providing further evidence that he enters the season as the team's primary early-down back.”
- 3Quinshon Judkins to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 5.03)“Quinshon Judkins , Cleveland Browns (ADP: 5.03) ... These three backs have a clear path to career-best seasons and are being drafted late enough to offer significant upside at their current ADPs.”
- 4Jonathon Brooks to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 11.02)“making him one of the top breakout candidates at running back this season”
- 5Jonathon Brooks to be 1st on the depth chart“A healthy Jonathon Brooks should lead the Carolina Panthers backfield ... he has a clear path to becoming Carolina's lead back.”
- 6Quinshon Judkins to finish top 15 at his position, by fantasy points“an improved offensive line and expanded workload should give him a realistic path to a top-15 fantasy season”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 10.12)1 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt to be 1st on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Quinshon Judkins to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 5.03)3 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jonathon Brooks to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 11.02)4 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jonathon Brooks to be 1st on the depth chart5 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Quinshon Judkins to finish top 15 at his position, by fantasy points6 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 6 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
6 checkable claims — 3 sleeper calls, 2 depth chart calls and 1 positional finish — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 6 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 above the room on 1 and below it on 2.
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
Jonathon Brooks · 2026 season20 calls from 10 pundits between 1 and 2. Nathan Jahnke 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 CallsJacory Croskey-MerrittWashington Commanders
Jacory Croskey-Merritt to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 10.12)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Depth Chart CallsJacory Croskey-MerrittWashington Commanders
Jacory Croskey-Merritt to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Sleeper CallsQuinshon JudkinsCleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 5.03)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Sleeper CallsJonathon BrooksCarolina Panthers
Jonathon Brooks to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 11.02)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Depth Chart CallsJonathon BrooksCarolina Panthers
Jonathon Brooks to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Positional FinishesQuinshon JudkinsCleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins to finish top 15 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 95
Dajani picks the Commanders to edge the Giants 21-20 on Thursday and the Chiefs to beat the Falcons 26-20 in Week 10.Tyler Sullivan · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Sullivan takes the Commanders 24-21 over the Giants on Thursday night and calls for a Steelers upset of the Bengals, 27-24, in Week 10.John Breech · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 90
Breech picks the Commanders to upset the Giants on Thursday night, 24-17, and takes the Texans to beat the Browns 24-16 in Week 10 behind a pass rush that should batter Deshaun Watson.Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Washington Commanders · Hit 95
Dajani picked seven Week 10 games with final scores, including a Commanders upset of the Giants, Lions over the Patriots in Munich, Chiefs over the Falcons, Packers edging the Vikings, 49ers over the Cowboys, Bengals over the Steelers and Ravens over the Chargers. They also suggested Joe Burrow could win MVP this season.Eva Geitheim · Game Outcome Picks · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Geitheim picked the Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Vikings, Jaguars, Colts, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.Gilberto Manzano · Game Outcome Picks · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Manzano picked the Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Browns, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Saints, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.
More sleeper calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Derek Brown · Sleeper Calls · Travis Hunter · 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 · Tyreek Hill · 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.