Derek Brown#12 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 26, 2026
Brown laid out aggressive rest-of-season positional rankings — Mahomes QB8, Kenneth Walker RB3, Kelce up to TE7, Rashee Rice all the way down at WR31 and Worthy at WR42 — called Drake London a WR1 with Penix back, and picked Tampa Bay 21-18 over Minnesota while declaring Zay Flowers will not play in Brazil.
Said on air or in an interview · FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast (podcast)Hear the original
What Derek Brown said
RB3 behind only Jameer Gibbs and Bajon Robinson. That's where I'm at.
- Where it was said
- FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast (podcast)
- The episode
- FantasyPros - Week 3 Fantasy Football Key Questions: Best Matchups, Rankings & Lineup Decisions (Ep. 2221)
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidSep 26
- PlayedSep 27
- GradedSep 28
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score Predictions | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Positional Finishes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Availability Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| All | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
Game calls show that game’s closing betting line under their grade: a dated fact from nflverse, for context and never part of a grade. MissedTakes takes no bets and earns nothing from any sportsbook.
How each call scored
10 checkable claims — 8 positional finishes, 1 availability call and 1 score prediction — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 14 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 10 have settled so far, averaging 40.5 out of 100, against 34.5 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 5 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 3 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.
Score Predictions1 close callShow ▸Hide ▾
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21 — Vikings 18
“I was going to go like 21, 18, and I'm also going to take the Buccaneers here.”
Vikings 23–16called Buccaneers by 3 · lost by 740.48Close40.48 − 34.45 naive = 6.03 × 1.89 difficulty = +11.39 skill
Closing line (Sep 27): Vikings by 1.5, total 42.5 · this 21–18 calls a Buccaneers win (by 3; the line gave the Buccaneers 50%) and fewer points (39).
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- score:
- 23-16
- skill:
- 11.39
- they picked:
- TB
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 40.48
- baseline:
- 34.45
- difficulty:
- 1.89
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- actual margin:
- 7
- weeks left when called:
- 16
- naive home margin:
- 0.47
- predicted margin:
- 3
Positional Finishes8 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
“I've got him at QB. I kind of go back and forth somewhere in the QB 10 to 12 range (rest of season)”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Travis Kelce to finish top 7 at his position, by fantasy points
“I could move him up to tight end seven. If Daniel Jones and the Colts keep looking bad, he's going to get a crap ton of volume.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kenneth Walker III to finish top 3 at his position, by fantasy points
“RB3 behind only Jameer Gibbs and Bajon Robinson. That's where I'm at. ... So RB3 for me.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jeremiyah Love to finish RB3 (25–36) at his position, by fantasy points
“I have him as an RB3, and when it all shakes out, that's where he's going to be, somewhere in that RB3 range.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Xavier Worthy to finish top 42 at his position, by fantasy points
“I'd like, I've got him at 42 right now. (Xavier Worthy rest of season)”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Rashee Rice to finish top 31 at his position, by fantasy points
“I've got him at wide receiver 31. I've got him at wide receiver 31 right now (Rasheed Rice rest of season)”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Patrick Mahomes to finish top 8 at his position, by fantasy points
“Uh qb8 but i'm with fitzy like i think low in qb1 is about right (Mahomes rest of season)”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“He's wide receiver one. Where you want to put him in wide receiver one is fine by me.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Availability Calls1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
“Zay Flowers is not going to play. He still hasn't practiced this week. ... I just don't see a world where he plays in this game. (Week 3, Ravens at Cowboys in Brazil)”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
The game in this take
every pundit’s pick on eachWho this take is about
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints, Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs, Kenneth Walker III, Jeremiyah Love, Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens, Patrick Mahomes, Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
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.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.Mike Kadlick · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Kadlick names the Chiefs, Patriots and 49ers as the three best trade landing spots for Colts wide receiver Josh Downs ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.
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.