Fantasy football rankings 2026: Sleepers from model that nailed De'Von Achane's terrific season
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- SportsLine simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its 2026 Fantasy football rankings, including sleepers, breakouts and busts, available via its paid membership that now bundles Paramount+ Premium.
- De'Von Achane validated the model last season after it ranked him RB6 despite an RB12 ADP; he finished with 1,838 scrimmage yards (sixth in the NFL) and 12 touchdowns, exactly matching the model's projection in CBS Sports PPR leagues.
- Isaiah Likely is the model's top tight-end sleeper at TE9 despite an ADP of 97, following coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore to the Giants, where the model says he has become a favorite target of QB Jaxson Dart with Malik Nabers limited by a knee injury in camp.
- DeVonta Smith is projected as a top-15 fantasy wideout despite an ADP of 38 (outside the top 25 at his position), after Philly sent A.J. Brown to New England and made Smith its clear No. 1 wideout following his 1,000-yard 2025 in a bottom-10 passing offense.
- The model also flags a veteran wide receiver as a 'shocking' top-10 option ahead of CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown, though that name is gated behind SportsLine's paywall.
- Top CBS Sports PPR ADPs are led by Jahmyr Gibbs (1.46), Bijan Robinson (1.83) and Ja'Marr Chase (4.11), with De'Von Achane now at 11.00 after last year's breakout.
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters who follow the model's projections could land TE9 production from a player being drafted as a mid-rounder (Likely, ADP 97) and a top-15 wideout from a player drafted outside the top 25 at his position (Smith, ADP 38). The model's Achane call and 10,000 simulations give the picks a credibility weight that pure opinion-based rankings lack, though the specific veteran WR name is locked behind a paid SportsLine subscription.
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