SportsLine Model Flags Likely, Pollard as 2026 Sleepers
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- SportsLine's computer model simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times to release updated Fantasy football rankings, sleepers, breakouts, and busts ahead of draft season.
- Isaiah Likely, who followed coach John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants, is ranked TE9 by the model — ahead of Sam LaPorta and George Kittle, who are being drafted nearly two rounds earlier than Likely's ADP of 97.
- Tony Pollard is flagged as a sleeper despite a minor camp foot injury, having cleared 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons and averaged 100 yards per game over the final five weeks of 2025.
- The model accurately predicted De'Von Achane would outperform his RB12 ADP in 2025 — he finished as the RB6 with 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.
- A veteran wide receiver is identified by the model as a shocking top-10 option ahead of stars like CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown, though the player's identity is revealed only on SportsLine.
- The model has previously flagged breakout seasons for Derrick Henry (2019), Jonathan Taylor (2021), A.J. Brown (2020), and Daniel Jones (2025) — players who delivered league-winning value at their draft cost.
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters gain a data-driven edge from a model that nailed Achane's RB6 finish and called past breakouts. Likely's TE9 ranking versus an ADP of 97 and Pollard's RB27 despite four straight 1,000-yard seasons are multi-round value gaps, while an unnamed top-10 wide receiver the model ranks ahead of CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown could anchor winning rosters.
Ask SkimNews
