SportsLine Model Calls Montgomery, Cook 2026 Fantasy Busts
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- SportsLine's model simulated the NFL season 10,000 times and flagged David Montgomery and James Cook as 2026 Fantasy football busts, ranking each well below their consensus draft slots.
- David Montgomery, now with Houston after leaving Detroit, carries an ADP around pick 51, but the model ranks him in the same tier as Jaylen Warren, Jadarian Price, and 10th-rounder Kenneth Gainwell because he is expected to split snaps with Woody Marks.
- James Cook is going off the board at ADP No. 10 overall (the 5th running back taken), yet the model ranks him as RB No. 10 — a late-second or third-round value — citing his elevated fumble rate and Josh Allen's history of vulturing touchdowns.
- The model is also fading one of the first six wide receivers off the board in early 2026 drafts, ranking that player barely inside the top 10; the specific name is withheld in the article and gated at SportsLine.
- Terry McLaurin's 2025 collapse anchors the model's credibility pitch: after posting ~1,100 receiving yards and 13 TDs in 2024, he fell to career lows of 582 yards and 3 TDs, with per-game averages down across the board.
- Top 12 PPR ADP via CBS: Jahmyr Gibbs (1.21), Bijan Robinson (1.96), Ja'Marr Chase (4.15), Jonathan Taylor (5.12), Puka Nacua (5.26), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6.85), Christian McCaffrey (7.53), Amon-Ra St. Brown (9.15), James Cook (10.22), De'Von Achane (11.51), Chase Brown (12.26), Derrick Henry (13.08).
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters paying early-round prices for Montgomery (pick 51) or Cook (pick 10) would be paying roughly a full round of draft capital above the model's value — a gap that compounds across a 12-team league and can decide whether a roster contends or collapses, especially with Cook's ADP putting him ahead of players the model likes such as Derrick Henry and Chase Brown.
Ask SkimNews
