# Derek Brown: Brown expects Drake Maye to be a top-five fantasy quarterback with a chance to challenge Josh Allen for the QB1 spot, and lists him among must-have quarterbacks to target in 2026 drafts. He also calls Dak Prescott a locked-in QB1 with top-five upside and touts Malik Willis as a QB1-caliber sleeper in Miami.

**Claimed:** Sep 6, 2026
**Pundit:** Derek Brown — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/derek-brown
**Outlet:** FantasyPros — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/fantasypros
**How it reached us:** published in writing
**Original:** https://www.fantasypros.com/2026/09/fantasy-football-5-must-have-quarterbacks-to-draft-2026/

6 checkable claims — 3 positional finishes and 3 sleeper calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 6 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.

> Maye should be considered a strong top-five fantasy quarterback option with the ability to push Josh Allen for the QB1 spot if everything goes his way in 2026.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Malik Willis to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Drake Maye to outplay his draft cost**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Dak Prescott to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Drake Maye to finish top 5 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Dak Prescott to outplay his draft cost**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Malik Willis to outplay his draft cost**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Malik Willis — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/malik-willis
- Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins
- Drake Maye — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/drake-maye
- New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/patriots
- Dak Prescott — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/dak-prescott
- Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cowboys

## What others said about the same people

- Mike Moraitis on DaRon Bland: Moraitis names five Cowboys he expects to be playing their final season opener in Dallas in 2026: George Pickens (likely tag-and-trade or departure), Malik Hooker, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown and DaRon Bland. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/66b5ed7b-41bd-4f67-9b4d-16eae4675e67 (scored 100)
- Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's preseason fantasy recap makes a large number of depth-chart, role and fantasy-value calls across the league, including Chig Okonkwo as a top sleeper tight end, Tre Tucker as the Raiders' top receiver, and various backfield hierarchies. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/760054fd-7815-4b86-a9e3-bc9bdb0a730b (scored 0)
- Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's fantasy football preseason recap projects depth-chart outcomes, roster spots and fantasy value for numerous players across several preseason games, including Chig Okonkwo's expanded role in Washington, Ja'Kobi Lane as Baltimore's WR3, Malachi Fields winning the Giants' starting X job, and Zachariah Branch being a fantasy bust relative to his late-round cost. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/22a4578b-eb92-41d2-820b-1a7eaa2e4e2f (scored 0)
- Chad Millman on Miami Dolphins: Chad Millman said he had taken money-line positions on several Week 1 underdogs — the Texans outright over the Bills, the Giants outright over Dallas (in a money-line underdog parlay), and Miami outright at Las Vegas — and that the show's survivor pick was the Steelers to win. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/bd767876-d060-44de-aa5a-3fc87ff4e749 (scored 0)
- Garrett Podell on Dallas Cowboys: Previewing the Week 1 'Sunday Night Football' game, the piece picks Dallas to beat New York comfortably, arguing Prescott, Lamb and Pickens will exploit the Giants' cornerbacks while the Cowboys' defense contains Jaxson Dart. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/994d94d2-7aa5-4911-8404-9efbdfc22a46 (scored 35.71)
- Alain Poupart on Miami Dolphins: Poupart predicts the Dolphins upset the Raiders in Week 1 in Las Vegas, 27-24, and also expects Miami to win few games overall in 2026. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6dfbbc26-d75a-4671-8e05-5595ae2a2bee (scored 23.81)

## More sleeper calls

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

- Matt Money Smith on Tre Harris: Smith says Ladd McConkie is a legitimate No. 1 receiver who could post a Jaylen Waddle-like season of roughly 1,700 yards and eight touchdowns, and he predicts second-year Chargers receiver Trey Harris will have a big year under Mike McDaniel. He also expects Philip Rivers to become an NFL head coach and thinks the Chargers offense will be good in the coming season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1f779ee4-78d9-4f01-a069-bcd0ef45fc72 (scored 0)
- Chad Ochocinco Johnson on Saquon Barkley: Johnson says the Steelers aren't legitimate Super Bowl contenders even with Aaron Rodgers back, and that Saquon Barkley can have a bounce-back season in year nine with the Eagles competing for a championship if the offensive line stays healthy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd0eab3d-1392-41f3-a9b6-026860f9ffa5 (scored 0)
- Ross Jackson on Devaughn Vele: Ross Jackson agreed to the same Saints mock draft board — Jeremiah Love at eight, Akeem Mesador in the second, Keonte Scott at 73, Keelan Rutledge and Ted Hurst in the fourth, Xavien Harris at 148, Aaron Anderson in the fifth and Bryce Boettcher in the sixth — and also called Devon Vellet a 2026 breakout candidate. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b4c58f9f-23b8-4857-8505-17c213d3a342 (scored 0)
- Greg Cosell on Omarion Hampton: Cosell expects the Nick Bonito vs. Will Campbell matchup to be pivotal, predicts Caleb Williams' future is bright, expects the Chargers' run game to improve dramatically under Mike McDaniel with a good season from Omarion Hampton, and expects Sean Payton not to hide Stidham. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/26c1330e-ee04-42a9-b29d-d6f0cc6bab6a (scored 0)
- Andrew Erickson on Malik Nabers: Erickson gave his 2026 first-round board, leaning on running backs early with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja'Marr Chase as his WR1 and Christian McCaffrey slipping to 12. He also touted Malik Nabers as a buying opportunity, projected big touchdown numbers for Burrow and Chase, and called Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/abd0628c-1338-467b-9ac3-d89c922468eb (scored 0)
- Joe Pisapia on Omarion Hampton: 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.thegoodapps.co/opinions/830a3414-41f0-4e58-9f3b-b1a5f9e10c3c (scored 0)

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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.

Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.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:
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