# Derek Brown: Brown names six running backs he wants in 2026 fantasy drafts, projecting Chase Brown, Javonte Williams, Omarion Hampton and Kenneth Walker III as RB1s, David Montgomery as a strong RB2 with RB1 upside, and Tony Pollard as an RB2 value being drafted as an RB3. **Claimed:** Aug 15, 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/fantasy-football-6-must-have-running-backs-2026/ 9 checkable claims — 6 positional finishes and 3 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 12 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 9 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 5 and below it on 4. > Brown is a solid RB1 with top-five upside this season. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Omarion Hampton to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tony Pollard to finish top 24 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kenneth Walker III to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kenneth Walker III to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **David Montgomery to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: David Montgomery, Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **David Montgomery to finish top 24 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: David Montgomery, Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chase Brown to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Javonte Williams to finish top 15 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tony Pollard to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Omarion Hampton — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/omarion-hampton - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Tony Pollard — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tony-pollard - Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/titans - Kenneth Walker III — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kenneth-walker-iii - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - David Montgomery — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/david-montgomery - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Chase Brown — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/chase-brown - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Javonte Williams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/javonte-williams - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Kansas City Chiefs: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Cincinnati Bengals: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Houston Texans: Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 0) - Sam Monson on Los Angeles Chargers: Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b810ffd-fd93-4ea2-a208-b1353dea5fb0 (scored 0) - Jake Arthur on Kansas City Chiefs: Arthur expects a close Chiefs win on Sunday Night Football at Arrowhead, predicting a final score of 27-23 for Kansas City. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ca7ab74e-ab34-4ed6-a77f-2c7e9f8c8c4d (scored 97.62) ## More positional finishes The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Rich Hribar on Matthew Stafford: Hribar published his 2023 fantasy football quarterback tiers, ordering 41 quarterbacks into eight tiers that reflect how he prioritizes 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 his 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 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 his 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 his own first-team All-Pro roster. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/660e3494-2b0b-415e-beb7-9e3bf3464e30 (scored 75) - 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. He also reminds listeners he called the Bears and Panthers as teams to watch before the season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c6469c58-b508-48d9-b72f-fe6e0d7d4da5 (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Puka Nacua: Eisen defended his preseason call of the Packers reaching the Super Bowl, said the Chiefs will win the AFC West, called the Ravens the favorites in the AFC North, said the Colts are a playoff team, expected Denver to handle Cincinnati and the Giants to beat the winless Saints, and endorsed Puka Nacua as the league's best receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e0759bb3-fd2c-400d-8ee9-f77e5c5fe3e6 (scored 91.67) --- 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