# Mike Fanelli: In his 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.

**Claimed:** Aug 13, 2026
**Pundit:** Mike Fanelli — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mike-fanelli
**Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fantasypros
**How it reached us:** published in writing
**Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/08/fantasy-football-discord-ama-mailbag-2026/

7 checkable claims — 3 sleeper calls, 2 fantasy rankings, 1 depth chart call and 1 positional finishe — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

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.

> There is a clear-cut top six for me this year.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Cam Ward to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Cam Ward
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Tony Pollard to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Tony Pollard to finish top 20 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Daniel Jones to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Daniel Jones
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **I have it ranked as Montgomery (RB20), Swift (RB22), Price (RB23), and Tuten (RB24).**
  - Kind: Fantasy Rankings
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Aaron Rodgers to outplay his draft cost (an ADP outside the top 20)**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Aaron Rodgers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **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.**
  - Kind: Fantasy Rankings
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Cam Ward — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/cam-ward
- Tony Pollard — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tony-pollard
- Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/titans
- Daniel Jones — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/daniel-jones
- Aaron Rodgers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/aaron-rodgers

## What others said about the same people

- John Middlekauff on Tennessee Titans: Middlekauff expects blowout wins for Seattle over Washington and Kansas City over Miami in Week 3, picks Cincinnati to beat Pittsburgh in the AFC North matchup, and takes Tennessee over the Giants if Jameis Winston is taking snaps. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8115d255-82e3-442e-aeef-c3eaa3587603 (scored 0)
- Colin Cowherd on Tennessee Titans: The co-host (identified only as "Mitchell") made his own Week 3 picks, including blowout wins for Seattle and San Francisco, Cincinnati 27-17, Detroit 37-13, Denver 24-21 over the Rams, and predicted Jonah Coleman takes over the Broncos' running back role. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4ccbceaa-54ca-4a2e-ad90-006f1ded0ad2 (scored 0)
- Tyler Sullivan on Tennessee Titans: Sullivan projects final scores for every Week 3 game, including a Bills blowout of the reeling Chargers, a Chiefs rout in Miami, a Seahawks win over a Mariota-led Washington, and the Saints beating the Raiders in their home opener. He also expects Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart all to be sidelined in Week 3, with Marcus Mariota starting for Washington. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e4b11b44-d359-4027-a72c-87833f5ff6e3 (scored 45.24)
- Lane Mills on Tennessee Titans: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5a2c4e6d-57dd-4dc9-9f27-c1446726f490 (scored 0)
- Josh Edwards on Cam Ward: A CBS Sports piece on roster-cut season names likely starters and roster/cut candidates across several teams, including Chiefs and Cowboys cornerback depth charts, the Chargers' projected offensive line, Jalin Hyatt as a Giants cut candidate, Cole Payton headed for Philadelphia's practice squad, and Cam Ward and Mitchell Trubisky as safe on Tennessee's roster. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6d8a3644-15ed-4b81-b21a-e85ab3e8f2c1 (scored 100)
- Dharya Sharma on Wan'Dale Robinson: Previewing the Titans' preseason opener, Sharma identifies five receivers as roster locks, expects Bryce Oliver to make the 53 on special teams value, and predicts Will Levis will not be on Tennessee's roster by September, likely being moved for a late-round pick. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f60a6ef5-4d69-4548-ad17-906bf8bfb384 (scored 100)

## More sleeper calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Derek Brown on Travis Hunter: 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 his own rankings well ahead of ADP for several of them. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/effe2fda-3dcb-489f-a1e1-f8fa5b11ada7 (scored 100)
- Tom Strachan on Ricky Pearsall: Tom Strachan backed Xavier Worthy, Jalen Coker, Egbuka, Jalen Waddle, Darnell Mooney, Zay Flowers, George Pickens, DeVonta Smith and Travis Hunter as values at their draft costs, while avoiding Jerry Jeudy and the Cleveland receivers. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c42eacc5-eb10-4103-a94d-50545a487cbb (scored 100)
- Ryan Wormeli on Ricky Pearsall: Host Ryan Warmley endorsed Ricky Pearsall as a bet worth making and put his rookie-receiver capital in Tetairoa McMillan, while fading Zay Flowers at his cost and opting out of Marvin Harrison Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/192d6e67-2e0e-49b3-bc82-4c8a77bd5950 (scored 100)
- Chris Welsh on Tyler Warren: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9f0f2132-f3b8-4813-b2b1-374b827d86a8 (scored 100)
- Pat Fitzmaurice on Rashee Rice: Pat Fitzmaurice gave draft-or-pass calls: reluctant drafts on Christian McCaffrey, RJ Harvey, Tetairoa McMillan (his WR16), Rashee Rice at a ninth-round price, Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez, Chris Olave, Drake Maye (his QB8) and Tyler Warren, with passes on Breece Hall, Joe Mixon, Croskey-Merritt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Hunter, the Rams receivers and Justin Fields. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e36f1287-466c-4889-a7ea-c9d86f4b5182 (scored 0)
- Joe Pisapia on Tyreek Hill: Joey P (Joe Pisapia) played draft-or-pass on 2025 fantasy values: he 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c3c95c1c-64a4-42b6-9389-58d5fb5b27d1 (scored 0)

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Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages.

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