SportsLine model flags Nabers, Cook as 2026 Fantasy busts
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- SportsLine's model simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times and released Fantasy football rankings identifying busts, sleepers, and breakouts ahead of the Sept. 9 kickoff.
- Malik Nabers (Giants WR) is flagged as a bust despite an ADP around pick No. 36 — the model doesn't rank him a top-15 receiver, slotting DeVonta Smith, Nico Collins, and Zay Flowers above him, citing his torn ACL, a spring follow-up procedure, and the Giants' expected run-heavy approach under new OC Matt Nagy.
- James Cook (Bills RB) is flagged as a bust at ADP ~No. 12 (5th RB off the board) — the model ranks him RB10 behind Derrick Henry and Chase Brown, citing a higher 2025 fumble rate and Josh Allen as a touchdown vulture in Buffalo's offense.
- Terry McLaurin is cited as the model's 2025 proof point — after a prior season of nearly 1,100 receiving yards and 13 TDs, he posted career lows of 582 yards and 3 receiving TDs, a downturn the model had flagged by fading his top-50 ADP.
- The SportsLine model has a multi-year track record, having identified A.J. Brown as a 2020 sleeper, Jonathan Taylor's 2021 breakout, C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, Derrick Henry (2019), Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara (2018), and Davante Adams (2017).
- Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are among running backs angling for new contracts but still headline CBS's PPR ADP board at Nos. 1 and 2 (ADP 1.50 and 1.79), with Ja'Marr Chase (4.17), Puka Nacua (4.29), and Jonathan Taylor (5.67) rounding out the top five.
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters making real-money decisions now have a data-driven counterpoint to consensus ADPs: fading Malik Nabers at his current second/third-round cost avoids a recovering ACL player in a run-heavy offense, and letting James Cook slide to RB10 value frees up an early-round pick for Derrick Henry or Chase Brown per the same model.
