# Derek Brown: Brown is even higher on Tetairoa McMillan (WR17) and calls him Carolina's alpha WR1, pitches Tony Pollard as a value with top-15 RB upside and the clear lead back in Tennessee, and says George Pickens is badly underpriced and will finish as a WR2.

**Claimed:** Jul 26, 2025
**Pundit:** Derek Brown — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/derek-brown
**Outlet:** The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/the-herd-with-colin-cowherd-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/fantasypros-fantasy-football-podcast/the-best-fantasy-football-value-picks-of-2025-ep-1628

8 checkable claims — 4 positional finishes, 2 depth chart calls and 2 sleeper calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

All 8 have settled, averaging 52.1 out of 100, against 47.9 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> He's gonna be a wide receiver two, with the volume that he's gonna see.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **George Pickens to outplay his draft cost (seventy first overall in ECR wide receiver thirty two)**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess
- **Tony Pollard to outplay his draft cost (sixty six overall. He's the RB twenty six in ACR)**
  - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
  - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess
- **Tony Pollard to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess
- **George Pickens to finish top 16 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
  - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess
- **Drake Maye to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
  - Verdict: scored 16.67 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess
- **Tony Pollard to finish top 15 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
  - Verdict: scored 33.33 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess
- **Tetairoa McMillan to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
  - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess
- **Tetairoa McMillan to finish top 17 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
  - Verdict: scored 66.67 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- George Pickens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/george-pickens
- Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cowboys
- Tony Pollard — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tony-pollard
- Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/titans
- Drake Maye — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/drake-maye
- New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/patriots
- Tetairoa McMillan — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tetairoa-mcmillan
- Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/panthers

## What others said about the same people

- Ethan Hurwitz on Jeremiah Pharms Jr.: Hurwitz writes that the elevations of Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Mike Brown likely mean Leonard Taylor III stays a healthy scratch and Joshua Farmer could be one too for the Week 3 game at Jacksonville, and that both elevated players will revert to the practice squad after Sunday. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/fc98ac5c-1a8e-4462-94fa-993b02c52d00 (scored 0)
- Randy Gurzi on Reddy Steward: Gurzi predicts the Cowboys' 17-man practice squad, naming each player he expects Dallas to sign, including a surprise addition of released Giants tackle Evan Neal. He also predicts Jaydon Blue will be claimed off waivers by another team and that Sam Williams will land elsewhere. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a37588ef-f76e-4f06-a951-a85a563271d5 (scored 0)
- Jeff Cavanaugh on Curtis Robinson: Building his projected Cowboys 53-man roster on defense, Jeff keeps five interior linemen (Kenny Clark, Quentin, Tito Obonia, LT Overton, Bullard), six edge rushers including Von Miller, Malachi Lawrence and Marist Liufau while cutting Sam Williams, four linebackers with Jayshawn Barham starting, six corners including rookie Devin Moore, and four safeties including Marquise Bell. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d20c4eda-eab4-4a8c-ba13-0e120fdd7d91 (scored 0)
- Ethan Hurwitz on Christian Gonzalez: Hurwitz says several Patriots starting jobs and roster spots are already settled — Drake Maye at QB with Jared Wilson at center, A.J. Brown and Hunter Henry as pass-catchers, and Christian Gonzalez, Milton Williams and Kevin Byard locked into roster spots. Among camp standouts, he pegs undrafted rookie Cameron Dorner as roughly the eighth receiver on a roster likely keeping seven, and says Channing Canada is a strong practice squad candidate if he doesn't make the 53. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b1d343fa-5684-4366-bbb6-73297fbae830 (scored 100)
- Zach Roberts on Aaron Hall: Previewing the Panthers' Hall of Fame Game, Roberts predicts Kenny Pickett starts but plays sparingly with Haynes King getting extensive work, and projects UDFA receiver Ja'Seem Reed and defensive lineman Aaron Hall to make the final 53-man roster. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/21b93a68-3735-496f-abf0-ed279bbc5c44 (scored 100)
- Charean Williams on Israel Abanikanda: Williams expects the Cowboys to elevate practice squad running back Israel Abanikanda to the active roster for Sunday's season opener after Malik Davis's hip injury. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1b1ecc54-8c96-4764-b595-85a9f5f0cd76 (scored 0)

## 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.thegoodapps.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.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c47d130c-5598-4cd0-b546-1121046b9166 (scored 100)
- Ryan Tracy on Bryan Cook: Tracy argues the Chiefs should address edge rusher and defensive tackle via the draft and use free agency on running back and wide receiver; he names Brian Robinson as his target, expects Kenneth Walker III to re-sign with Seattle, thinks Nick Bolton-style veterans like Jerry Tillery, Derek Nnadi and Mike Pennel shouldn't return, believes Bryan Cook is a top-10 safety the Chiefs can't afford, and predicts a quarterback (Trinidad Chambliss) will rocket up boards so more than one QB goes in the top 10. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/18bb787c-4f93-4c95-b8c2-02daeeffe823 (scored 0)
- 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.thegoodapps.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.thegoodapps.co/opinions/660e3494-2b0b-415e-beb7-9e3bf3464e30 (scored 75)
- 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.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e0759bb3-fd2c-400d-8ee9-f77e5c5fe3e6 (scored 91.67)

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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

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