Model that nailed Achane picks 2026 Fantasy sleepers — SkimNews
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- SportsLine's model simulated the entire 2026 NFL season 10,000 times and released updated Fantasy football rankings, sleepers, breakouts, and busts ahead of draft season
- De'Von Achane outperformed his RB12 ADP last year per the model's call, finishing as the RB6 in CBS Sports PPR leagues with 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns
- Isaiah Likely is flagged as a sleeper at TE with an ADP of 92, having followed coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore to the Giants where he's now the clear-cut No. 1 tight end and reportedly a favorite target of QB Jaxson Dart, with the model ranking him TE9 ahead of Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce
- Tony Pollard is highlighted as a value RB going off the board around pick 77, despite four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and averaging 100 yards per game with three total touchdowns across the final five weeks of 2025
- The model is also high on an unnamed wide receiver going in the third or fourth round of most drafts, projecting him as a top-10 fantasy option ahead of CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and A.J. Brown
- Prior model hits include calling A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, Jonathan Taylor's 2021 monster season, Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, Davante Adams in 2017, and Daniel Jones' breakout in 2025
Why it matters: Fantasy players drafting over Labor Day weekend get a data-driven edge from a model with a multi-year track record of identifying breakouts like Achane. Late-round sleepers at tight end (Likely as TE9) and running back (Pollard in a tier with higher-drafted backs), plus a hidden WR pick ahead of Jefferson and Lamb, could shift draft-day value in PPR leagues where late picks separate contenders from the rest.
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