# Derek Brown: Brown touts Jonathon Brooks and MarShawn Lloyd as late-round fliers with upside, likes Blake Corum as a high-end handcuff, projects Marvin Harrison Jr. as a volume-based WR3/flex, sees Brian Thomas Jr. as a WR3/4, and is avoiding Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell entirely. **Claimed:** Aug 18, 2026 **Pundit:** Derek Brown — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/derek-brown **Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fantasypros **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/08/15-third-year-players-2026-fantasy-football/ 4 checkable claims — 2 positional finishes, 1 depth chart call and 1 sleeper call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 7 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 above the room on 1 and below it on 1. > I'll happily avoid Worthy in drafts again this year. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Marvin Harrison Jr. to finish top 36 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **MarShawn Lloyd to outplay his draft cost (late in drafts)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brian Thomas Jr. to finish top 48 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Brian Thomas Jr. - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jonathon Brooks to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Marvin Harrison Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/marvin-harrison-jr - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - MarShawn Lloyd — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/marshawn-lloyd - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/packers - Brian Thomas Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/brian-thomas-jr - Jonathon Brooks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jonathon-brooks - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers ## What others said about the same people - Bill Huber on Green Bay Packers: Huber argues Green Bay has no excuses left and will beat New England in Foxborough, and expects Christian Watson to play despite their rib injury. They also sketch the projected interior offensive line, with John Williams at center and Laken Tomlinson at right guard. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5ab5fa3a-4526-46a4-b11b-a2bc99820cb8 (scored 100) - Pete Prisco on Green Bay Packers: Prisco gives score predictions for every Week 9 NFL game, picking the Bengals to rout the Falcons in Madrid, the Cowboys to rebound at Indianapolis, and the Jaguars to win in Baltimore without Lamar Jackson. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dc43909b-bc7f-47aa-b208-5cf7c95844bc (scored 64.29) - Danny Parkins on Green Bay Packers: Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/272d1f8a-06f7-4b8b-8480-94d370ae5e6f (scored 100) - John Middlekauff on Green Bay Packers: Middlekauff declared the AFC South over and the Jaguars the division champs, while listing several clubs they expect in the playoffs and pegging the Jets for a top-five draft slot. They also leaned Packers and Bears in Week 9 games, predicted roughly five or six wins for Washington, said Brandon Aiyuk is not coming back, and called Tyson Bagent's current deal the biggest they'll ever sign. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5fbf1f78-2f2a-49cf-8052-89897c9a1ff8 (scored 100) - Matt Harmon on Green Bay Packers: Harmon picked the Packers, Bears, Bills, 49ers and Broncos in Week 9, predicted Justin Jefferson would top 100 receiving yards with two touchdowns against Buffalo, and said Minnesota would lose and then trade for Jonathan Taylor. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f6e687e7-59f9-430a-90a5-b3c0da4e3e20 (scored 100) - Jared Dubin on Green Bay Packers: Dubin predicts a lopsided Jaguars win over the Ravens on Thursday night and takes the Packers to upset the Patriots in Week 9. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c0440d3-fd3d-45e1-bef8-c67da14bf25b (scored 71.43) ## More positional finishes The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Nick Wright on Puka Nacua: Nick Wright picked the Ravens to beat Houston this weekend even with Lamar Jackson possibly out (leaning on Derrick Henry and Cooper Rush), the Chiefs to win in Jacksonville, and the Rams to beat the 49ers on Thursday night. They also laid out an AFC playoff field of Bills, Steelers, Chiefs, Chargers and Colts, projected the Chiefs' receiver pecking order once Rashee Rice returns, and called Justin Jefferson the best receiver in football with Puka Nacua a top-five receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d48b8521-6883-4f25-99f1-6f552bfe5a94 (scored 75) - Rich Hribar on Matthew Stafford: Hribar published their 2023 fantasy football quarterback tiers, ordering 41 quarterbacks into eight tiers that reflect how they prioritize drafting the position, with Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes in the top tier as the trio most likely to finish as the overall QB1. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9d1e15ad-f96d-457c-ad9f-25882182e28b (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Brockman argued Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already the best receiver in the NFL and deserves to be the highest paid, called their shot that three quarterbacks (Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck) go in the first round with Mendoza first overall, and suggested New England is headed for a 7-10 season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c47d130c-5598-4cd0-b546-1121046b9166 (scored 100) - Ryan Tracy on Bryan Cook: Tracy argues the Chiefs should address edge rusher and defensive tackle via the draft and use free agency on running back and wide receiver; they name Brian Robinson as their target, expects Kenneth Walker III to re-sign with Seattle, thinks Nick Bolton-style veterans like Jerry Tillery, Derek Nnadi and Mike Pennel shouldn't return, believes Bryan Cook is a top-10 safety the Chiefs can't afford, and predicts a quarterback (Trinidad Chambliss) will rocket up boards so more than one QB goes in the top 10. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/18bb787c-4f93-4c95-b8c2-02daeeffe823 (scored 0) - Pat Gustavson on Bijan Robinson: Gustafson picks the Patriots, Bills, Seahawks and Bears in the divisional round with a Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl, predicts Mike Tomlin and Matt LaFleur stay, Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, and lays out their own coaching landing spots. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/06884586-5b21-40c8-9439-e303a3e8a806 (scored 75) - JP Acosta on Bijan Robinson: JP picked the Eagles to beat the 49ers in a low-scoring game and the Jaguars to beat the Bills, called Bijan Robinson the best running back in the league, and named their own first-team All-Pro roster. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/660e3494-2b0b-415e-beb7-9e3bf3464e30 (scored 75) --- 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. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=derek-brown