# Nathan Jahnke: An unsigned PFF piece names Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson as the favorites for fantasy's overall RB1 in 2026, then highlights Ashton Jeanty, Kenneth Walker III and Omarion Hampton as high-upside backs drafted outside the elite who could beat their draft cost. **Claimed:** Jul 31, 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-backs-who-could-finish-no-1-overall-2026/ 5 checkable claims — 3 sleeper calls and 2 positional finishes — 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. 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. > Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson enter 2026 as the favorites to finish as fantasy football's overall RB1. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **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 - **Bijan Robinson to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Bijan Robinson - Verdict: not settled yet - **Omarion Hampton to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.04)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Ashton Jeanty to outplay his draft cost (ADP: 2.01)** - Kind: Sleeper Calls · About: Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jahmyr Gibbs to finish top 1 at his position, by fantasy points** - Kind: Positional Finishes · About: Jahmyr Gibbs - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Kenneth Walker III — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kenneth-walker-iii - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Bijan Robinson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/bijan-robinson - Omarion Hampton — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/omarion-hampton - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Ashton Jeanty — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/ashton-jeanty - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Jahmyr Gibbs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jahmyr-gibbs ## What others said about the same people - Warren Sharp on Kirk Cousins: Sharp argues Raiders rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is not ready to play, predicting he won't start Week 1 or Week 2 and that Kirk Cousins will be the Week 1 starter, with Mendoza sitting behind him for a long stretch. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f6c6fdb0-ba07-4779-bdb0-bed9dfc089c6 (scored 100) - Carter Bahns on Kirk Cousins: The newsletter says Shedeur Sanders' preseason Week 2 start may have won him the Browns' starting quarterback job over Deshaun Watson, and that Kirk Cousins will lead the Raiders' offense in Week 1. It also asserts Florida is the best college basketball team heading into 2026-27. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/551a6c15-18a9-488d-a1c2-52e7643735cd (scored 100) - Tyler Sullivan on Kirk Cousins: An unsigned preseason overreaction piece: Kirk Cousins, not rookie Fernando Mendoza, will start Week 1 for the Raiders; 49ers second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling could be the most productive rookie receiver in 2026 and the team's top target; Cam Ward's rough preseason isn't a real problem; Drew Allar isn't yet Pittsburgh's 2027 starter; and D.J. Moore will boost Buffalo's offense. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/171507fa-f1c7-4308-957f-f9114e41996a (scored 100) - John Breech on Kirk Cousins: In a preseason Week 1 winners-and-losers piece, CBS Sports says Bengals receiver Dohnte Meyers is now likely to make the roster, suggests fantasy drafters consider 49ers rookie De'Zhaun Stribling, expects Kirk Cousins rather than rookie Fernando Mendoza to start Week 1 for the Raiders, and suggests Anthony Richardson has moved ahead of Riley Leonard for the Colts' backup quarterback job. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d028cdb8-972f-4e80-af43-d5f967fdd8f4 (scored 100) - Carter Bahns on Kirk Cousins: Unsigned piece states Kirk Cousins, who started the Raiders' preseason opener, will also be the Week 1 starting quarterback, while suggesting rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza could eventually take the job if Las Vegas falls out of contention. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/7d1f095c-4039-4192-b023-126b2cc23e59 (scored 100) - Eric Patterson on Kirk Cousins: In a bold-predictions column for the 2026 fantasy season, Patterson calls Kenneth Walker III the top-scoring RB in Kansas City, fades De'Von Achane, likes Blake Corum as a top-20 back, predicts Justin Jefferson reclaims WR1 with Kyler Murray, has Jordyn Tyson outscoring Chris Olave and Matthew Golden outscoring Christian Watson, sees Brock Bowers breaking the single-season receptions record, and pegs Brock Purdy as a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5f496296-76b7-4eda-b83a-8ed21f9d01e5 (scored 100) ## More sleeper calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - 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) - 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) - Jake Ciely on Saquon Barkley: Sealey laid out his projected first round for 2026 fantasy drafts, opening with Bijan Robinson followed by three wide receivers, then a tier of running backs, and closing with Rashee Rice, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Omarion Hampton. He also called Saquon Barkley a buy-low. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b63cc1db-f999-42de-9255-55ffa7d8d29f (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=nathan-jahnke