SportsLine Model Names 2026 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Likely, Pollard
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- SportsLine's model simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times and released fantasy football rankings for every player, naming sleepers, breakouts and busts ahead of draft season.
- De'Von Achane validated the model last year: SportsLine projected him as RB6 with an ADP of RB12, and he finished as RB6 in CBS Sports PPR leagues with 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.
- The model's track record spans years — it called A.J. Brown as a 2020 sleeper, predicted Jonathan Taylor's breakout in 2021, flagged C.J. Stroud's 2024 step back, and nailed Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout.
- Isaiah Likely, who followed coach John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants, is flagged as a top tight-end sleeper at an ADP of 97; SportsLine ranks him TE9, ahead of Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce.
- Tony Pollard, 29, is highlighted as a Titans running back sleeper after four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons; SportsLine ranks him alongside backs being drafted ahead of his RB27 (pick ~76) ADP after he averaged 100 yards per game in his final five 2025 contests.
- An unnamed wide receiver going in the third or fourth round of most drafts is ranked a 'shocking top-10' option by the model, ahead of CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown.
- Top 2026 fantasy ADP (CBS PPR): Jahmyr Gibbs (1.18), Bijan Robinson (2.00), Ja'Marr Chase (4.21) and Jonathan Taylor (5.11) lead the board, with De'Von Achane at 11.55.
Why it matters: Fantasy players drafting in the next two weeks gain a free, model-driven edge on player valuation, with two low-cost sleepers (Likely at TE9 vs. ADP of 97, Pollard ranked with higher-ADP backs) offering concrete profit zones. Achane's RB6 finish in 2025 — exactly where the model slotted him a year ago — is the credibility pitch behind every name on this list.
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