Pat Fitzmaurice#8 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 11, 2026
Fitzmaurice names five quarterbacks they love to target in the middle rounds of 2026 fantasy drafts — Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford — arguing each will outproduce their mid-round cost, with Purdy specifically pegged as a low-end QB1.
Published in writing · FantasyProsRead the original
What Pat Fitzmaurice said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromConsider him a low-end QB1 in 2026 fantasy drafts.
- Where it was published
- FantasyPros
- The piece
- Fantasy Football: 5 Mid-Round Quarterbacks to Draft (2026)
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 11, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
- 1Brock Purdy to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points“Consider him a low-end QB1 in 2026 fantasy drafts.”
- 2Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)“quarterbacks he loves to target in the middle rounds ... Brock Purdy (SF) ... Consider him a low-end QB1 in 2026 fantasy drafts.”
- 3Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)“quarterbacks he loves to target in the middle rounds ... Trevor Lawrence (JAC) ... Now, we'll see if T-Law can pick up where he left off.”
- 4Justin Herbert to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)“Pat Fitzmaurice shares quarterbacks he loves to target in the middle rounds of fantasy football drafts. Justin Herbert (LAC) ... Herbert could have a banner season in tandem with new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel”
- 5Dak Prescott to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)“Dak Prescott seems primed for another big season ... quarterbacks he loves to target in the middle rounds of fantasy football drafts”
- 6Matthew Stafford to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)“Stafford seems well positioned for another big season.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Purdy to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points1 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)2 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)3 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Justin Herbert to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)4 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Dak Prescott to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)5 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Matthew Stafford to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)6 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 6 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
6 checkable claims — 5 sleeper calls and 1 positional finish — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 9 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the rest of the room.
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.
Their call against the room
positional finishTheir call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
1Positional FinishesBrock PurdySan Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Sleeper CallsBrock PurdySan Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Trevor Lawrence to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Sleeper CallsJustin HerbertLos Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Sleeper CallsDak PrescottDallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Sleeper CallsMatthew StaffordLos Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford to outplay his draft cost (the middle rounds)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd predicts Matt Stafford stays with the Rams rather than moving on, and says Travis Hunter may underachieve because they're being asked to play both ways — Cowherd doubts they're a No. 1 receiver and would slot them as a No. 2 receiver while being a No. 1 corner.Rich Eisen · Trade and Signing Calls · Micah Parsons · Miss 0
Eisen expects Myles Garrett to be traded before the draft and says the Browns will then take Abdul Carter with their early first-round pick; they also predict Buffalo will end up paying James Cook and that Micah Parsons will remain a Cowboy and get their money from Dallas, likely late in the process.Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd believes Matt Stafford's public negotiation posturing means he ultimately stays in Los Angeles, and he flags Travis Hunter as a high draft pick who could underachieve because trying to play both cornerback and receiver full-time will hurt him.
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.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.Jake Ciely · Sleeper Calls · Braelon Allen · Miss 0
Counting down their 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.