# Derek Brown: Brown names five tight ends he loves to target in 2026 fantasy drafts, projecting Brock Bowers as a possible runaway TE1, Tyler Warren as a top-five tight end, Isaiah Likely as the Giants' clear starter and a late-round value, Colston Loveland as a TE1-crown contender, and Dallas Goedert as a repeat top-six tight end and the Eagles' second passing option. **Claimed:** Sep 1, 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/must-have-tight-ends-2026-fantasy-football/ 10 checkable claims — 5 sleeper calls, 3 positional finishes and 2 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 5 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 4. > 2026 Brock Bowers could be 2025 Trey McBride and be the runaway TE1 for fantasy, with little target competition existing on the Raiders' depth chart to challenge him. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Brock Bowers to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Colston Loveland to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Goedert to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tyler Warren to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: not settled yet - **Isaiah Likely to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Isaiah Likely, New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brock Bowers to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Isaiah Likely to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Isaiah Likely, New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Goedert to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tyler Warren to finish top 5 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Goedert to finish top 6 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Brock Bowers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/brock-bowers - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Colston Loveland — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/colston-loveland - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears - Dallas Goedert — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/dallas-goedert - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/eagles - Tyler Warren — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tyler-warren - Indianapolis Colts — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/colts - Isaiah Likely — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/isaiah-likely - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/giants ## What others said about the same people - Bucky Brooks on Keenan Allen: Brooks predicted J.J. McCarthy won't be on the Vikings' roster (traded or released), said Kyler Murray wins the Vikings' QB competition, made a series of 2025 award picks, made 2026 Heisman/draft projections including Arch Manning as the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick, and said none of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow win a championship this season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/10c3797b-f9e0-41ca-a2a3-5d765a242a79 (scored 100) - Mike Moraitis on Ozzy Trapilo: Moraitis writes that although Braxton Jones has looked like the favorite, Ozzy Trapilo is likely to take over as the Bears' starting left tackle once he's healthy enough to play. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cdfe5f0f-6783-4730-b9bb-d942e28b037a (scored 0) - Noah Compton on C.J. Allen: After watching the Colts' eleventh training camp practice, Compton says rookie linebacker CJ Allen is still expected to start the regular-season opener, identifies Alec Pierce as the team's top receiver and Cam Taylor-Britt as the first cornerback behind the starting trio, and declares the kicking job Blake Grupe's to lose. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/98a8bd92-bcd8-4b5a-aad7-96ecd936662b (scored 0) - Pete Martuneac on Ozzy Trapilo: After Trapilo's activation from the PUP list roughly seven months after rupturing his patellar tendon, Martuneac says the Bears' left tackle competition is over and Trapilo will be starting at left tackle early in the 2026 season, even if not by Week 1. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d42f10ad-a71c-4ea9-95e8-2b53fde77971 (scored 0) - Jeff Kerr on Michael Carter: Kerr says several Eagles have raised their stock in camp: Darius Cooper is emerging as the team's WR4, Drew Kendall is the No. 3 interior lineman/top backup at guard and center, Willie Lampkin is in prime position to make the 53-man roster, and Michael Carter is a roster lock who could start at safety in Week 1. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/922a9343-f96d-419d-8091-49b64dd471d9 (scored 0) - Fernando Alfaro-Donis on Kayshon Boutte: Argues the Raiders' weakest spot is their receiver room, expects Jalen Nailor to take a big step forward in Klint Kubiak's scheme with Kirk Cousins starting before Fernando Mendoza takes over, and suggests Las Vegas should trade a mid-round pick for Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte, who would immediately become their top option. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b988191f-a153-4f4b-a1b8-7b5a7a18265c (scored 0) ## 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) - Brandon Carney on Javonte Williams: Carney predicted AJ Brown would not be back with the Eagles, forecast a wave of free-agent landing spots (Breece Hall to the Chiefs, Alec Pierce to the 49ers, Rico Dowdle to the Saints, George Pickens to the Patriots, Mike Evans to the Bills), and named Week 1 starting quarterbacks for several teams in flux. He also gave fantasy takes on Javonte Williams, Chris Olave and others. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9337347d-fde9-46c9-9bb6-26ade467538b (scored 100) - 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) - 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) - Mike Harmon on Zay Flowers: Harmon gave his Week 18 fantasy rankings — top five quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers — plus lists of 'hot plays,' 'cold sores' (players to avoid) and 'ninjas' (sneaky plays), and said Trevor Lawrence would land around a top-four fantasy quarterback finish for the season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e2e20c82-d482-48e6-90f3-929d0862fc0d (scored 100) --- 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: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=derek-brown