# Nathan Jahnke: An unsigned PFF fantasy piece names Chase Brown and Kenneth Walker as early-round league winners with top-five running back upside, predicts Quinshon Judkins delivers a top-20 fantasy season behind a rebuilt Browns line, and lists several late-round backs as sleepers for 2026. **Claimed:** Aug 26, 2026 **Pundit:** Nathan Jahnke — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/nathan-jahnke **Outlet:** Pro Football Focus — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/pro-football-focus **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.pff.com/news/fantasy-football-running-back-sleepers-breakouts-league-winners/ 10 checkable claims — 7 sleeper calls and 3 positional finishes — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 11 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. > If both stay healthy, Brown has a realistic path to finishing as a top-five fantasy running back. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Chase Brown to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.04)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kenneth Walker III to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.06)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Keaton Mitchell to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Keaton Mitchell - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tyjae Spears to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Tyjae Spears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jordan Mason to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Jordan Mason - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chase Brown to finish top 5 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kenneth Walker III to finish top 5 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Quinshon Judkins to finish top 20 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Najee Harris to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Najee Harris - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chris Rodriguez Jr. to outplay his draft cost** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Chris Rodriguez Jr. - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Chase Brown — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/chase-brown - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Kenneth Walker III — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kenneth-walker-iii - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Keaton Mitchell — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/keaton-mitchell - Tyjae Spears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tyjae-spears - Jordan Mason — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jordan-mason - Quinshon Judkins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/quinshon-judkins - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - Najee Harris — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/najee-harris - Chris Rodriguez Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/chris-rodriguez-jr ## What others said about the same people - Mike Florio on Shedeur Sanders: Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cf6258b2-b55f-4f50-84f9-24269a5a006a (scored 0) - Paul Keren on Teven Jenkins: Keren says Teven Jenkins still projects as Cleveland's Week 1 starting right guard despite a push from KT Leveston, and that Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams will be the Browns' lead linebackers. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/86b36112-724c-4f9c-a4fd-cf74a38be8e4 (scored 0) - Pat Fitzmaurice on Trey Hendrickson: Fitzmorris made picks 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 and 31 in the 2026 mock, ranked the top three receiver prospects Tate-Lemon-Tyson, said Caleb Downs won't fall to Day 2, and predicted Trey Hendrickson won't be back in Cincinnati. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c3d0242f-bda2-45fd-82b3-7782bd29c69f (scored 0) - Pete Prisco on Kansas City Chiefs: Prisco is the lone expert cited picking Kansas City, 20-17 over Denver. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/bea2711b-1066-488c-9180-75b8af7b8ab8 (scored 57.14) - Mike Florio on Kansas City Chiefs: Florio gives score predictions for every Week 1 game of the 2026 NFL season, including an opening-night upset by the Patriots in Seattle and narrow home wins for the Giants and Chiefs. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/4b20f46e-ebc0-462f-9e7a-2ab82f91a2ea (scored 57.14) - John Pluym on Kansas City Chiefs: Pluym's Week 1 straight-up picks for all 16 games. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e7e5c159-21f2-4766-92de-857294ef51cf (scored 100) ## 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) - 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) --- 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=nathan-jahnke