# Nathan Jahnke: 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). **Claimed:** Aug 18, 2026 **Pundit:** Nathan Jahnke — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/nathan-jahnke **Outlet:** Pro Football Focus — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/pro-football-focus **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.pff.com/news/fantasy-football-breakout-running-backs/ 6 checkable claims — 3 sleeper calls, 2 depth chart calls and 1 positional finishe — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. 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. > 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. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Jonathon Brooks to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacory Croskey-Merritt to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Quinshon Judkins to finish top 15 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Quinshon Judkins to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 5.03)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jonathon Brooks to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 11.02)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacory Croskey-Merritt to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 10.12)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Jonathon Brooks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jonathon-brooks - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers - Jacory Croskey-Merritt — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jacory-croskey-merritt - Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/commanders - Quinshon Judkins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/quinshon-judkins - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Carolina Panthers: 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 47.62) - Connor Rogers on Carolina Panthers: 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 0) - Richard Sherman on Carolina Panthers: Sherman picked winners and several exact scores across the Week 3 slate, favoring Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Detroit, Green Bay, Carolina, New Orleans, Baltimore, the Rams, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Kansas City, Minnesota, the Giants, Jacksonville and Houston, and named Kenneth Walker his MVP. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c2102f61-711d-4041-af08-065e95ccaf03 (scored 47.62) - Colin Cowherd on Carolina Panthers: The co-host (identified only as "Mitchell") made his own Week 3 picks, including blowout wins for Seattle and San Francisco, Cincinnati 27-17, Detroit 37-13, Denver 24-21 over the Rams, and predicted Jonah Coleman takes over the Broncos' running back role. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4ccbceaa-54ca-4a2e-ad90-006f1ded0ad2 (scored 0) - Tyler Sullivan on Carolina Panthers: Sullivan projects final scores for every Week 3 game, including a Bills blowout of the reeling Chargers, a Chiefs rout in Miami, a Seahawks win over a Mariota-led Washington, and the Saints beating the Raiders in their home opener. He also expects Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart all to be sidelined in Week 3, with Marcus Mariota starting for Washington. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e4b11b44-d359-4027-a72c-87833f5ff6e3 (scored 50) - Pete Prisco on Cleveland Browns: Prisco picks every Week 3 game with exact scores, highlighting upsets by Tampa Bay over Minnesota and Cleveland over Carolina, and expects the Giants to rally behind Jameis Winston. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3eb02dfa-79dd-43a1-87d8-db7e5140af6c (scored 100) ## 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 his 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 his rookie-receiver capital in Tetairoa McMillan, while fading Zay Flowers at his 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) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Rashee Rice: Pat Fitzmaurice gave draft-or-pass calls: reluctant drafts on Christian McCaffrey, RJ Harvey, Tetairoa McMillan (his WR16), Rashee Rice at a ninth-round price, Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez, Chris Olave, Drake Maye (his QB8) and Tyler Warren, with passes on Breece Hall, Joe Mixon, Croskey-Merritt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Hunter, the Rams receivers and Justin Fields. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e36f1287-466c-4889-a7ea-c9d86f4b5182 (scored 0) - 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) --- 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=nathan-jahnke