Nabers, Cook Flagged as 2026 Fantasy Football Busts
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- Malik Nabers is flagged as a 2026 fantasy bust by SportsLine's model — being drafted around pick No. 37 but ranked outside the top 15 receivers behind DeVonta Smith, Nico Collins and Zay Flowers, with concerns over his ACL tear from last season, a follow-up procedure in the spring, and the Giants' expected run-heavy scheme under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
- James Cook is the model's other featured bust — drafted around pick No. 12 (fifth RB off the board) but ranked as the No. 10 RB behind Derrick Henry and Chase Brown, due to last year's higher fumble rate, a limited pass-catching role, and Josh Allen's tendency to vulture rushing touchdowns in Buffalo.
- SportsLine's model — which predicted Terry McLaurin's 2025 collapse to 582 receiving yards and 3 TDs (down from 1,100 yards and 13 TDs the prior year) — has simulated the 2026 season 10,000 times and also fades one of the first five receivers off the board in early drafts, ranking that player barely inside the top 10.
- The model's past track record includes flagging A.J. Brown as a 2020 sleeper, Jonathan Taylor's 2021 breakout, C.J. Stroud's 2024 regression, Derrick Henry in 2019, and Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018.
- The 2026 NFL season kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 9, following the Hall of Fame Game, with Jahmyr Gibbs (PPR ADP 1.48) and Bijan Robinson (1.80) atop draft boards — both among the running backs holding in as they angle for new contracts.
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters who take Nabers or Cook at current ADPs risk repeating the McLaurin mistake: the model's two named busts are already being overdrafted by roughly 15 spots (Cook, pick 12 vs. RB10) or entire tiers (Nabers, pick 37 vs. outside the top 15 WRs), meaning even league-average production won't return ADP value for owners who don't adjust.
