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- This Year 2 RB Is A HUGE Trap
If I told you there was a 22-year-old RB entering his second year who averaged 12.3 PPG as a rookie and dominated his team’s rushing attempts (79%) last year, you’d probably be pretty excited about his prospects for fantasy in 2026.
But when it comes to Browns running back Quinshon Judkins, I’m way more spooked than I am excited to draft him.
We recently covered how poor the Browns offensive line is expected to be (worst in the entire league), the oddsmakers have the Browns at 5.5 wins (third-lowest), and at Fantasy Life we have Cleveland projected as the 31st scoring offense with 1.8 TDs per game.
Womp, womp, womp.
And that’s all before Dwain McFarland—who just dropped his epic RB tiers for 2026 fantasy football piece—spotlighted the tight needle Judkins must thread as an RB who doesn’t catch a lot of passes.
Dwain concludes that Judkins basically has to replicate what Nick Chubb did on the Browns as a sophomore (16.3 PPG) to outproduce his ADP.
While that’s not impossible, that’s a pretty tall ask of Judkins. He’s good, but he’s not Chubb … and you could easily argue the QB play and offensive line are significantly worse than when Chubb was rolling in 2019.
My friend Ben Gretch often talks about fantasy picks as a sliding scale of “hits” and “misses,” and Judkins feels like the ultimate “small hit, big miss” archetype.
He’s worth taking stabs on in best ball—there are very few backs who will be projected to touch the ball as many times as him—but there are so many ways this can go wrong.
I much prefer the other guys Dwain has in Tier 7—David Montgomery and D’Andre Swift—and even some of the Tier 8 guys.
Speaking of which, check out the full list here …
Draft Strategy
Forget about the holidays. We know that fantasy football draft season is “the most wonderful time of the year.” Ssssh, don’t tell the family.
You get to put your stamp on your roster with the players you select. Your draft strategy will tell the story. So many people are talking about going RB-heavy in the early rounds to lock in their studs. Well, that’s going to leave some sweet options at wide receiver like Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown who are too hard to pass up. If you’re into tight ends, but don’t want to pay the Round 2 price tag on Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, can we talk you into George Kittle almost 90 picks later? And don’t get us started on elite quarterback strategy when we can wait to get Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff well after pick 100. They’re both projected for well over 4,000 passing yards and 30 TDs. Not bad consolations late in drafts.
Mike’s Harder: Made with Real Character. Sometimes you have to go a different path to lock in a winning strategy.
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Fantasy
Around the Watercooler
The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from your favorite football nerds …
👩🏽🍳 Picking from the 1.12 in a mock draft leaves plenty of options. Get cooking.
🪃 These QBs are looking for bounceback seasons. Remember how good they are.
⚠️ Turning away from the best QB of his generation is a risk. So is picking him.
🙊 Curious about joining an auction league? You won’t regret saying yes.
📉 An RB has 10+ TDs in three straight seasons, yet falls in dynasty. There is another.
🤔 Stefon Diggs or Rome Odunze? You make the choice.
👀 Picks 5 and 6 on the Big Board are former OPOY winners. Tough to pick between them.
💪 George Kittle ahead of schedule? We keep getting good news here. Buy, buy, buy.
🙏 You don’t need to be scared of Jonathon Brooks from an injury standpoint. Here’s why.
🦶 Can you trust a kicker with blonde highlights? You might need to.
🥊 You drafted and told everyone the league is yours. Then this happened.
Drafting From The 1.01: Kick Off With Big Decision
It’s mock draft szn, people! While we can’t replicate the yummy food and endless “beverages” available at your home league draft, our Draft Champion can help with the rest. When you put in your league’s draft settings, you can simulate how people will be drafting in just minutes. No waiting for your cousin to find the sticker and end up posting Jayden Higgins instead of Tee.
Chris Allen is back with his yearly series on drafting from each position. He’s starting at the top, and he answers the Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Bijan Robinson very quickly and decisively. The rest? Well, you’ll just have to see how his draft went so you can get a glimpse for your own draft. ⤵️
Go Ahead, Call Brock Purdy A System Quarterback
Whether it’s the great offensive weapons, having Kyle Shanahan as a playcaller or the fact that he was Mr. Irrelevant when he was drafted in 2022, Brock Purdy just doesn’t get the respect he’s earned in his four-year NFL career. While he’s not quite the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL, he just seems to be consistently underestimated and underrated, even in fantasy football.
Adam Pfeifer adjusted his tie and gave some respect to Purdy, and three other players. He made the case on how each is a good pick, even a bargain, at his current ADP. Are you ready to pick them? ⤵️
Return of The Chop! Guillotine LeaguesTM is Back!
The most exciting way to play fantasy football is back. The 2026 season of Guillotine LeaguesTM is here, and we’re bringing back the CHOP Podcast with new co-hosts Marcas Grant and Tipp Major. If you’re new to Guillotine Leagues, Marcas and Tipp will guide you through draft strategy, as well as players they’re targeting and fading this season. If you don’t want to get chopped, tune in. Make sure to subscribe to the CHOP Podcast YouTube channel to catch every episode. ⤵️
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