12 POLARIZING Fantasy Football Picks | Experts Draft or Pass on Volatile Players (Ep. 2067)

June 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In the 1991 fantasy football draft, Pat Fitzmaurice's very first pick was Barry Sanders. That was the year Nirvana released Nevermind. Decades later, Fitzmaurice is still applying the same principle he learned back then: "maximizing upside is more important than minimizing downside." That philosophy is the fault line running through this episode, where three analysts debate 12 of the most divisive players in 2026 fantasy football. The conversation is less about who is "good" and more about how to weigh risk, workload, and the psychology of chasing ceiling versus protecting floor.

The First-Round Gamble: Christian McCaffrey

The most dramatic split of the episode is on Christian McCaffrey. Fitzmaurice ranks him 7th overall, arguing that "scared money don't make money." He points out that McCaffrey has played 16 or 17 games in three of the last four years, and that even a 12-game season of elite production is worth a mid-first-round pick. His core belief: "maximizing upside is more important than minimizing downside."

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What you'll learn

1 (00:35) **Show Introduction & Format** - Joey P. introduces the episode's topic: polarizing fantasy football players, with guests Pat Fitzmaurice and Andrew Erickson.
2 (01:17) **Christian McCaffrey (RB - SF)** - The first polarizing player: Pat is bullish (RB7), Andrew is bearish (RB19).
3 (05:46) **Chase Brown (RB - CIN)** - Andrew is very high (RB10), Pat is below consensus (RB21).
4 (09:09) **Rashee Rice (WR - KC)** - Pat is cautious (36), Andrew is bullish (21), with the ECR at 27.
5 (13:49) **Kyren Williams (RB - LAR)** - Pat is above consensus (29), Andrew is below (45).
6 (22:31) **Jalen Waddle (WR - DEN)** - Andrew is above consensus (43), Pat is below (55).
7 (26:51) **Jameson Williams (WR - DET)** - Pat is above consensus (41), Andrew is below (70).

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Pat Fitzmaurice Andrew Erickson

Show Notes

Weigh the good versus the bad before clicking the button!

Join Joe Pisapia, Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice for their top 12 polarizing fantasy football picks to target or avoid in 2026.

Should a hefty workload from last season make managers avoid San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey this go-around? Does Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams' weekly bust rate make him a landmine waiting to implode? Plus, what red flags surround Denver Broncos RB RJ Harvey heading into his sophomore year?

The Pros fire up a new game of draft or pass!

Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)

Intro - 0:00:00

Christian McCaffrey - 0:00:46

Chase Brown - 0:05:10

Rashee Rice - 0:08:38

Kyren Williams - 0:13:14

Dash Dog Food - 0:18:52

Jaylen Waddle - 0:20:10

Jameson Williams - 0:24:33

Hard Rock Bet - 0:27:56

Bhayshul Tuten - 0:28:58

RJ Harvey - 0:32:59

Brian Thomas Jr. - 0:35:48

Kyle Pitts Sr. - 0:38:50

Rachaad White - 0:41:50

Mark Andrews - 0:44:13

Who is most likely to make you look wrong - Fitz: Kyle Pitts Sr. - 0:47:12

Who is most likely to make you look wrong - Erickson: Christian McCaffrey - 0:47:28

Draft Cheat Sheet Promo - 0:47:58

Outro - 0:48:11

Helpful Links:

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