# Derek Brown: 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. **Claimed:** Sep 26, 2026 **Pundit:** Derek Brown — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/derek-brown **Outlet:** FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fantasypros-fantasy-football-podcast-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/a425ba31-4316-4647-847e-b0030136e912/610caf4a-55b1-4b6f-96ab-b4d00136718b/audio.mp3?in_playlist=bf391792-153e-41b3-9d3d-ae3300346ad8 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. > RB3 behind only Jameer Gibbs and Bajon Robinson. That's where I'm at. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21 — Vikings 18** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: scored 40.48 out of 100, against 34.45 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Sep 27, 2026): 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). Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - “I've got him at QB. I kind of go back and forth somewhere in the QB 10 to 12 range (rest of season)” - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Travis Kelce to finish top 7 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kenneth Walker III to finish top 3 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Kenneth Walker III - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jeremiyah Love to finish RB3 (25–36) at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Jeremiyah Love - Verdict: not settled yet - **Xavier Worthy to finish top 42 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rashee Rice to finish top 31 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - “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)” - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Patrick Mahomes to finish top 8 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - “He's wide receiver one. Where you want to put him in wide receiver one is fine by me.” - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Drake London, Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Tyler Shough — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tyler-shough - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Travis Kelce — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/travis-kelce - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Kenneth Walker III — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kenneth-walker-iii - Jeremiyah Love — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jeremiyah-love - Xavier Worthy — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/xavier-worthy - Rashee Rice — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/rashee-rice - Zay Flowers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/zay-flowers - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Patrick Mahomes — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/patrick-mahomes - Drake London — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/drake-london - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons ## What others said about the same people - Chris Clark on Nikko Remigio: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/99521265-d5c0-4db1-b2a0-fe77908ea0b3 (scored 0) - Gilberto Manzano on Josh Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/67d5af78-94ea-4ee2-a277-5e68347022de (scored 100) - Joshua Poniatowski on Josh Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d1752582-a799-48b9-984b-39bf7cb8b709 (scored 100) - Andrew Erickson on Josh Downs: Erickson floated Kansas City as the landing spot for Josh Downs and said a trade there would make them at least a WR3 rest of season; they also expect Rashee Rice to leave the Chiefs after this season as a free agent. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e97e28f2-31fc-4702-915c-63c38477e97d (scored 100) - Jordan Dajani on Josh Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f5af1657-8608-4071-a63e-0e7d6124e627 (scored 100) - Mike Kadlick on Josh Downs: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/45c94482-ef71-413f-834b-2a246271691d (scored 100) ## 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) - Pat Gustavson on Josh Allen: 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 16.67) - Rich Eisen on George Pickens: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2b6828d6-b24c-4c65-ac95-56bf45c4ebf7 (scored 100) - Chad Ochocinco Johnson on Christian Gonzalez: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c6469c58-b508-48d9-b72f-fe6e0d7d4da5 (scored 0) --- 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