Fantasy football rankings 2026: Top breakouts by model that nailed Tetairoa McMillan's giant year — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- SportsLine's simulation model released its 2026 Fantasy football rankings after running the NFL season 10,000 times; the same model correctly predicted Tetairoa McMillan's breakout rookie year — McMillan finished as WR17 in CBS PPR with 70 catches, 1,014 yards, and 7 TDs, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.
- Chargers RB Omarion Hampton is flagged as a top breakout with an ADP of No. 20; the model ranks him ahead of Kyren Williams and Javonte Williams, citing his health returning after a 9-game rookie season and an upgraded L.A. offensive line that includes returning Pro Bowlers Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater plus new center Tyler Biadasz.
- Dolphins QB Malik Willis is another breakout pick at an ADP of just No. 151 after signing a three-year, $67.5 million deal in Miami; the model ranks him above Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray, and Bo Nix.
- An unnamed young tight end is ranked a top-8 option ahead of Travis Kelce and George Kittle, with the player's identity gated behind SportsLine's paywall.
- The model's prior breakout calls include A.J. Brown (2020), Jonathan Taylor (2021), Derrick Henry (2019), Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara (2018), and Davante Adams (2017), plus correct predictions on C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back and Daniel Jones's 2025 surge.
- Top CBS PPR ADPs heading into drafts are Jahmyr Gibbs (1.13), Bijan Robinson (2.06), and Ja'Marr Chase (4.11).
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters have roughly a week before NFL kickoff, and the model's two top breakouts sit at radically different price points — Hampton at ADP No. 20 versus Willis at No. 151. That 131-pick spread is where the model's predictive edge translates into draft-day leverage: late-round owners banking on Willis's rushing floor plus a Miami passing-game role get him for free relative to the quarterbacks being taken two rounds earlier.
Ask SkimNews
