Mike FanelliAug 13, 2026
In their Discord AMA mailbag, Fanelli lays out a clear-cut top six for fantasy drafts, ranks four low-end RB2 options, calls David Njoku finished as a startable fantasy tight end, names three cheap quarterbacks as bargains, and pegs Tony Pollard as a possible top-20 running back who should be featured in Tennessee.
Published in writing · FantasyProsRead the original
What Mike Fanelli said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromThere is a clear-cut top six for me this year.
- Where it was published
- FantasyPros
- The piece
- Fantasy Football Discord AMA & Mailbag (2026)
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Cam Ward to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)“quarterbacks with an ADP outside the top 20 that I think could be bargains include Daniel Jones, Cam Ward, and Aaron Rodgers. ... Ward got two new big-time weapons in the offseason.”
- 2Fantasy Rankings“I have it ranked as Montgomery (RB20), Swift (RB22), Price (RB23), and Tuten (RB24).”
- 3Tony Pollard to finish top 20 at his position, by fantasy points“Pollard could sneak his way into a top-20 finish with enough touchdown luck.”
- 4Daniel Jones to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)“quarterbacks with an ADP outside the top 20 that I think could be bargains include Daniel Jones, Cam Ward, and Aaron Rodgers”
- 5Aaron Rodgers to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)“quarterbacks with an ADP outside the top 20 that I think could be bargains include Daniel Jones, Cam Ward, and Aaron Rodgers. ... Rodgers is heading into his final year in the NFL and could want to go out with a bang.”
- 6Tony Pollard to be 1st on the depth chart“The Titans will likely feature the veteran this season, as he is heading into the final year of his contract.”
- 7Fantasy Rankings“There is a clear-cut top six for me this year. Robinson and Gibbs are the only two running backs and the first two players in that top six. The next four players are all wide receivers. Ja'Marr Chase is third, Puka Nacua is fourth, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is fifth, and Amon-Ra St. Brown is sixth.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Ward to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)1 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “I have it ranked as Montgomery (RB20), Swift (RB22), Price…”2 | Fantasy Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| Tony Pollard to finish top 20 at his position, by fantasy points3 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Daniel Jones to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)4 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Aaron Rodgers to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)5 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Tony Pollard to be 1st on the depth chart6 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “There is a clear-cut top six for me this year. Robinson and…”7 | Fantasy Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 calls · 7 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
7 checkable claims — 3 sleeper calls, 2 fantasy rankings, 1 depth chart call and 1 positional finish — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
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.
Where this call stands in the room
Tony Pollard · 2026 season20 calls from 10 pundits between 1 and 2. Mike Fanelli said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Cam Ward to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“I have it ranked as Montgomery (RB20), Swift (RB22), Price (RB23), and Tuten (RB24).”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Positional FinishesTony PollardTennessee Titans
Tony Pollard to finish top 20 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Daniel Jones to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Aaron Rodgers to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Depth Chart CallsTony PollardTennessee Titans
Tony Pollard to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“There is a clear-cut top six for me this year. Robinson and Gibbs are the only two running backs and the first two players in that top six. The next four players are all wide receivers. Ja'Marr Chase is third, Puka Nacua is fourth, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is fifth, and Amon-Ra St. Brown is sixth.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Rich Eisen · Trade and Signing Calls · Aaron Rodgers · Miss 0
Eisen ranked their top five most impressive Pro Bowl campaigns of the season, topped by Sam Darnold, and predicted that Sunday would be Aaron Rodgers' last game with the Jets.Lane Mills · Game Outcome Picks · Tennessee Titans · Miss 0
Mills predicts the Titans finish 2026 at 6-11 (2-4 in the AFC South), missing the playoffs, with specific wins over the Jets, Giants, Browns, Jaguars, Raiders and Colts, and names Wan'Dale Robinson team MVP with another 1,000-yard, seven-touchdown season as Cam Ward's top receiver.Nathan Jahnke · Roster Spot Calls · K.J. Osborn · Hit 100
An unsigned PFF preseason recap makes numerous depth-chart, roster and usage projections across the league, based on Week 3 preseason playing time — including Roman Wilson winning Pittsburgh's third receiver job, Luke McCaffrey's roster spot being in danger, Charlie Kolar as the Chargers' top tight end, and Kendre Miller as the Saints' RB2.Marcus Mosher · Trade and Signing Calls · Daniel Jones · Hit 100
Mosher's Week 1 power rankings put the Chiefs first, 49ers second and Lions third, with the Patriots last. Along the way they predict double-digit wins for Buffalo, a playoff return for the Rams, a Jets playoff berth if Rodgers stays healthy, calls the Bears an NFC sleeper, and says New England's offense will be the league's worst.Gennaro Filice · Score Predictions · Tennessee Titans · Hit 88
The lone NFL.com pick for Tennessee, projecting a low-scoring 14-13 Titans upset built on their defensive front containing Jonathan Taylor.
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.Pat Fitzmaurice · Sleeper Calls · Rashee Rice · Miss 0
Pat Fitzmaurice gave draft-or-pass calls: reluctant drafts on Christian McCaffrey, RJ Harvey, Tetairoa McMillan (their WR16), Rashee Rice at a ninth-round price, Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez, Chris Olave, Drake Maye (their QB8) and Tyler Warren, with passes on Breece Hall, Joe Mixon, Croskey-Merritt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Hunter, the Rams receivers and Justin Fields.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.