7 Players Who Could Lose Your Fantasy Football League in 2026 (Ep. 2142)
August 20, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read"You Can't Win Your League in the First Round, But You Can Lose It"
The FantasyPros crew—Matt Modai, Andrew Erickson, and Pat Fitzmorris—spent the episode identifying seven players whose 2026 ADPs carry enough risk to torpedo a fantasy season. The throughline: chasing past production, rookie breakouts, or narrative upgrades without accounting for injury history, role compression, or statistical regression is the fastest way to finish outside the playoffs. Each analyst brought three picks, with Modai adding one at the end, and the conversation closed with each admitting which fade they're most nervous about being wrong on.
The Historical Case Against Christian McCaffrey
Erickson led with the most data-backed fade of the episode: Christian McCaffrey at RB3, going around pick eight overall. McCaffrey led the NFL in touches in 2025 with 450. Over the last 13 years, only one running back who saw 400-plus touches finished as a top-five fantasy back the following season. Among running backs age 27 or older who led the league in touches—six instances—zero finished top five the next year. Only two even finished as RB1s (top 12). McCaffrey himself has led the league in touches twice before; the following seasons he finished 53rd and 72nd at the position.
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What you'll learn
- 1 7 Players Who Could Lose Your Fantasy Football League in 2026 (Ep. 2142)
- 2 (00:38) **Episode Setup** - Matt Modai, Andrew Erickson, and Pat Fitzmorris introduce the show: seven players to avoid, with Erickson and Fitzmorris each picking three and Modai picking one.
- 3 (01:19) **Erickson Pick #1: Christian McCaffrey** - Historical data shows running backs with 400+ touches almost never repeat as top-five fantasy RBs the following year.
- 4 (03:44) **Fitzmorris Disagrees on CMC** - He acknowledges the scary history but is still willing to bet on McCaffrey's elite upside if healthy, especially in competitive leagues.
- 5 (04:24) **Fitzmorris Pick #1: Rashee Rice** - Off-field issues, a declining Chiefs offense, and emerging target competition create multiple layers of risk at his third-round ADP.
- 6 (07:32) **Erickson Pick #2: Quinshon Judkins** - Coming off a fibula fracture on a terrible Browns offense, Judkins faces a brutal early schedule and wasn't efficient even before the injury.
- 7 (10:56) **Fitzmorris Pick #2: Cam Scataboo** - The Giants' signing of Najee Harris signals concern about Scataboo's health and workload capacity after a severe leg injury.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Matt Modi, Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice break down seven players who could seriously disappoint fantasy managers this season. From Christian McCaffrey's massive workload and age concerns to Rashee Rice's uncertain role, Quinshon Judkins' injury and Cleveland situation, and Luther Burden's rising ADP, the guys identify the players they're most hesitant to draft at their current prices.
They also debate Cam Skattebo, DJ Moore and Jeremiah Love before revealing the player they're most afraid of being wrong about.
If you're getting ready for your 2026 fantasy football draft, this is a must-listen before you lock in your picks. Find out which players could become fantasy football busts, and which ones might still be worth the risk.
Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)
Intro - 0:00:00
Christian McCaffrey - 0:00:43
Rashee Rice - 0:03:49
Quinshon Judkins - 0:06:48
FantasyPros Draft Simulator - 0:09:51
Cam Skattebo - 0:10:20
Luther Burden - 0:12:10
DJ Moore - 0:16:14
Jeremiyah Love - 0:18:22
The Most Concerning Picks - 0:19:53
2026 Fantasy Fest - 0:21:13
Outro - 0:21:38
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