# Rich Hribar: Hribar previews the Week 1 Bears-Panthers matchup, treating Caleb Williams as a mid-range QB1 for the week and Bryce Young as only a matchup-based QB2. He also expects Braxton Jones to start at left tackle for Chicago in Week 1.

**Claimed:** Sep 8, 2026
**Pundit:** Rich Hribar — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/rich-hribar
**Outlet:** Sharp Football Analysis — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/sharp-football-analysis
**How it reached us:** published in writing
**Original:** https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/fantasy/bears-panthers-week-1-fantasy-football-preview-nfl-worksheet-rich-hribar-2026/

3 checkable claims — 2 positional finishes and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.

> I'm handling Williams near his ADP this summer for Week 1 as a mid-range QB1 .

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Bryce Young to finish top 24 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Caleb Williams to finish top 12 at his position, by fantasy points**
  - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Braxton Jones to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Braxton Jones, Chicago Bears
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Bryce Young — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/bryce-young
- Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/panthers
- Caleb Williams — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/caleb-williams
- Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears
- Braxton Jones — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/braxton-jones

## What others said about the same people

- 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)
- 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)
- Eric Cohen on Chicago Bears: Cohen says the Bears win easily in Carolina, and that Tennessee starts 1-0 over a Jets team he considers the third-worst in the league. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/37c0b874-cb1b-43c8-b78e-96a7b287ae62 (scored 100)
- Gene Chamberlain on Chicago Bears: Chamberlain picks the Bears to beat the Panthers in Week 1 at Charlotte, 34-30, giving Chicago the edge in the run game, passing game, pass defense and coaching. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e3f71681-dd59-4531-8ada-05079a4ee840 (scored 57.14)
- Danny Parkins on Chicago Bears: Parkins picked the Giants to upset Dallas, the Steelers to beat Atlanta by two scores, the Bears to beat Carolina, the Bills to beat Houston and Denver to beat Kansas City outright; he also said Justin Herbert will win an MVP and had the Bengals as AFC North champs. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/36c480cc-6b54-4cea-8204-3fc00ea6493c (scored 100)
- Kirk Herbstreit on Chicago Bears: Herbstreit made a full slate of Week 1 picks — Lions, Ravens, Bears, Bills, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, Packers and Cowboys — and also said he still thinks Seattle is the team to beat in the NFC West. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5bc3755c-9b84-484f-b8f2-b18d51a12261 (scored 100)

## More positional finishes

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

- 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 George Pickens: Eisen called the Rams-winning-it-all take an overreaction but expects Los Angeles to win the NFC West, said he doesn't see how Myles Garrett fails to win Defensive Player of the Year, and called George Pickens perhaps the third-best receiver in the NFL this season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/2b6828d6-b24c-4c65-ac95-56bf45c4ebf7 (scored 100)
- 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.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c6469c58-b508-48d9-b72f-fe6e0d7d4da5 (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.

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