# Mike Harmon: Harmon gave his top-five weekly fantasy rankings at quarterback, running back and wide receiver for Week 1, plus a slate of start recommendations ("hot plays" and "ninjas") and players to avoid ("cold sores"), and expected the Steelers to land around the usual 8-9 wins.

**Claimed:** Sep 11, 2026
**Pundit:** Mike Harmon — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/mike-harmon
**Outlet:** Fox Sports Radio (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fox-sports-radio-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/7177a057-b33d-4039-9fd5-ae3300346c9a/43903436-66ff-42cd-b12b-b4c20150b1ca/audio.mp3?in_playlist=be0668fc-1028-4ce5-80eb-ae2e00387188

5 checkable claims — 3 fantasy rankings, 1 depth chart call and 1 season win total — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

> Lock and load one of the highest point totals on the board for this week, 50 and a half. So let's take Joe Burrow.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **It's Devon Achan right off the jump going up against Los Angeles... You've got Jameer Gibbs going up against New Orleans... O'Marion Hampton comes in third... Saquon Barkley going up against Washington... And finally, we'll end it with Chase Brown**
  - Kind: Fantasy Rankings
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Jack Strand to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jack Strand
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Pittsburgh Steelers to finish with 8–9 wins**
  - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Pittsburgh Steelers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Amon Ra, one of our favorites. Let's go... Jamar Chase going up against Tampa... How about Justin Jefferson making his return to the top five... Nico Collins going up against Buffalo... And then finally, Chris Alave**
  - Kind: Fantasy Rankings
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Who are your Top five quarterbacks for week one... So let's take Joe Burrow... Jalen Hurts at Washington... Lamar going up against Indianapolis... Got Justin Herbert against Arizona... Finally, Jared Goff going up against the New Orleans Saints.**
  - Kind: Fantasy Rankings
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Jack Strand — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jack-strand
- Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers

## What others said about the same people

- Bryan DeArdo on Drew Allar: A CBS Sports piece lays out Pittsburgh's quarterback pecking order: Aaron Rodgers starts, Mason Rudolph is the No. 2, rookie Drew Allar sits at No. 3 and Will Howard is fourth, with the Steelers expected to keep all four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster rather than trading Howard. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4af69b53-867a-4e1f-8e7d-7f699e4ed649 (scored 100)
- Jack Markowski on Will Howard: Markowski writes that Howard now appears locked into the 53-man roster, that Pittsburgh is unlikely to move Rudolph, and that Rudolph has the inside track to be the backup behind Aaron Rodgers. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1085a04c-1453-40e5-ad1f-1d1573417b37 (scored 100)
- Kevin Patra on Mason Rudolph: Patra argues the Steelers are increasingly likely to keep four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster, with Mason Rudolph and third-round pick Drew Allar both safe, leaving Will Howard's spot as the only real question. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5d2a53ae-b642-4021-9718-b3ab8e83c9b0 (scored 100)
- Scott Kennedy on Jack Strand: Kennedy reports that Atlanta is expected to keep three quarterbacks on its 53-man roster: Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr., and undrafted rookie Jack Strand. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4271fbfe-2320-41d0-a8f0-000ddbb80076 (scored 100)
- Nathan Jahnke on Robert Tonyan: An unsigned PFF preseason recap makes numerous depth-chart, roster and usage projections across the league, based on Week 3 preseason playing time — including Roman Wilson winning Pittsburgh's third receiver job, Luke McCaffrey's roster spot being in danger, Charlie Kolar as the Chargers' top tight end, and Kendre Miller as the Saints' RB2. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/47566b48-8024-4960-b25c-11c03fe43543 (scored 100)
- Tyler Sullivan on Jack Strand: In a rookie quarterback report card following the 2026 preseason, CBS Sports projects Fernando Mendoza opening the year as Kirk Cousins' backup in Las Vegas, Luke Altmyer settling as the Lions' third quarterback behind Joshua Dobbs, and Jack Strand most likely landing on Atlanta's practice squad rather than the 53-man roster. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d84e8921-bcc5-4864-a4b8-1b0562c2c10c (scored 0)

## More fantasy rankings

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

- Rich Hribar: Hribar published his post-NFL Draft top-60 rookie fantasy rankings for the 2020 season, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire vaulting to No. 1 ahead of Jonathan Taylor and J.K. Dobbins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/12b6771e-a504-44e1-a213-c7fba69c971e (scored 76.67)
- Marcas Grant: Grant says De'Von Achane deserves to be a top-three pick in fantasy drafts next season, keeps Breece Hall as the Jets' clear RB1 over Isaiah Davis, and lists his five league winners for the fantasy semifinals with Saquon Barkley on top. He also picks Josh Allen as the week's top quarterback and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the top wide receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/982ad405-d984-4470-bf9e-fee5151562e6 (scored 25)
- Andrew Erickson: Erickson laid out his own early 2026 quarterback and tight end ranks — Justin Herbert QB6, Jalen Hurts QB9, Jordan Love QB13, Baker Mayfield QB14, Kyler Murray QB19, Sam Darnold QB23; Tucker Kraft TE8, Isaiah Likely TE12, Ronde Gadsden TE13 — and predicted Kyler Murray starts somewhere in 2026 and Mike Evans stays in Tampa Bay. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b6f4f57a-ff51-4131-9e69-b9d2afe304d8 (scored 75)
- Jake Ciely: Sealey gave his early 2026 quarterback ranks — Allen, Lamar, May and Daniels as his top four, Joe Burrow sixth, Daniel Jones 17th, Justin Herbert 10th, C.J. Stroud 25th and Sam Darnold 26th — plus tight ends with Isaiah Likely 13th and Dalton Kincaid down at 16. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f0bd19b0-da37-47d6-b81f-8863be80fbe2 (scored 62.5)
- Jake Ciely: Seely gives his own early 2026 running back board — Bijan and Gibbs on top, McCaffrey third (seventh overall), Kyren Williams tenth, Jeanty 11th and Chase Brown 12th — while ranking Skattebo, Dowdle, Pollard, Hubbard and Tucker below consensus. He also insists Kyren Williams remains a top-ten back, expects Skattebo to lead the Giants backfield and expects Rico Dowdle to leave Carolina. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/11e7d74c-dd01-406b-a815-e91c9df6699e (scored 93.26)
- Joe Pisapia: Joe Pisapia's 2026 first round is receiver-heavy, starting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ja'Marr Chase, insisting Amon-Ra St. Brown belongs in the top five, keeping Justin Jefferson in round one, and dropping Christian McCaffrey to 12. He also sees Omarion Hampton as a value who will be a top-10 pick a year later. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/830a3414-41f0-4e58-9f3b-b1a5f9e10c3c (scored 70.83)

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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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