Nathan Jahnke#72 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 28, 2026
A PFF Fantasy piece names running backs drafted outside the elite tier who have the ceiling to finish as fantasy's top-scoring back in 2026, arguing De'Von Achane is undervalued but capped, Kenneth Walker has top-five upside in Kansas City, Chase Brown is a high-upside option with a healthy Joe Burrow, and Omarion Hampton could break out under Mike McDaniel.
Published in writing · Pro Football FocusRead the original
What Nathan Jahnke said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromIf his usage expands in the passing game or Andy Reid leans more heavily on the run than in recent seasons, Walker has the upside to finish as a top-five fantasy running back.
- Where it was published
- Pro Football Focus
- The piece
- Fantasy Football: Running backs who could finish No. 1 overall
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Christian McCaffrey to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points“Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor have each accomplished the feat before, and another No. 1 finish from either veteran would hardly be surprising.”
- 2Omarion Hampton to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.07)“If McDaniel elevates the Chargers' offense into one of the league's best and Hampton handles the clear majority of backfield touches, he could be in for a special season.”
- 3Jonathan Taylor to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points“Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor have each accomplished the feat before, and another No. 1 finish from either veteran would hardly be surprising.”
- 4De'Von Achane to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 1.12)“De'Von Achane is falling to round two: The Dolphins have talked about giving Achane the ball more than any other running back, yet concerns about the quality of Miami’s offense are keeping too many fantasy managers away.”
- 5Jahmyr Gibbs to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points“Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson enter 2026 as the favorites to finish as fantasy football's overall RB1.”
- 6Kenneth Walker III to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.06)“If his usage expands in the passing game or Andy Reid leans more heavily on the run than in recent seasons, Walker has the upside to finish as a top-five fantasy running back.”
- 7Bijan Robinson to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points“Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson enter 2026 as the favorites to finish as fantasy football's overall RB1.”
- 8De'Von Achane to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points“Achane’s talent, combined with his status as the clear focal point of the offense, should keep him safely among the top 10 fantasy running backs.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points1 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Omarion Hampton to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.07)2 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jonathan Taylor to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points3 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| De'Von Achane to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 1.12)4 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jahmyr Gibbs to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points5 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Kenneth Walker III to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.06)6 | Sleeper Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Bijan Robinson to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points7 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| De'Von Achane to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points8 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| 8 calls · 8 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
8 checkable claims — 5 positional finishes and 3 sleeper calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 2.
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.
Their call against the record
positional finishTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
1Positional FinishesChristian McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Sleeper CallsOmarion HamptonLos Angeles Chargers
Omarion Hampton to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.07)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Positional FinishesJonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Sleeper CallsDe'Von AchaneMiami Dolphins
De'Von Achane to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 1.12)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Positional FinishesJahmyr Gibbs
Jahmyr Gibbs to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Sleeper CallsKenneth Walker IIIKansas City Chiefs
Kenneth Walker III to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.06)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
7Positional FinishesBijan Robinson
Bijan Robinson to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
8Positional FinishesDe'Von AchaneMiami Dolphins
De'Von Achane to finish top 10 at his position, by fantasy points
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks.Joshua Poniatowski · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Poniatowski names several trade targets, predicting Malik Willis underperforms this week against New England, that Omarion Hampton could become a viable RB2 if Adam Gase takes over play-calling, that Josh Downs gets traded (ideally to Kansas City, where they'd be a top-24 WR), that Brian Thomas Jr. could be dealt to the Rams or 49ers, and that Travis Kelce remains a consistent weekly TE.Jordan Dajani · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
After reporting that Colts receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, they identify five clubs as plausible landing spots for them: the Rams, Patriots, Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders, and suggests Las Vegas could also give them a long-term extension.
More positional finishes
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nick Wright · Positional Finishes · Puka Nacua · Close 75
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.Rich Hribar · Positional Finishes · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
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.Chris Brockman · Positional Finishes · Jaxon Smith-Njigba · Hit 100
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.Pat Gustavson · Positional Finishes · Josh Allen · Miss 17
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.Rich Eisen · Positional Finishes · George Pickens · Hit 100
Eisen called the Rams-winning-it-all take an overreaction but expects Los Angeles to win the NFC West, said they don't see how Myles Garrett fails to win Defensive Player of the Year, and called George Pickens perhaps the third-best receiver in the NFL this season.Chad Ochocinco Johnson · Positional Finishes · Christian Gonzalez · Miss 0
Ochocinco says Christian Gonzalez belongs in the top-five DB conversation, believes Kyler Murray will be elsewhere next year, expects Chase to get a one-game suspension, backs Sam Darnold to bounce back, and floats Jaxon Smith-Njigba reaching 2,000 receiving yards. They also remind listeners they called the Bears and Panthers as teams to watch before the season.