SportsLine Model Flags LaPorta, Smith as 2026 Fantasy Sleepers
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- SportsLine's model simulated the NFL season 10,000 times and released its 2026 Fantasy football rankings, flagging sleepers, breakouts, and busts across positions.
- Sam LaPorta is named a top sleeper at tight end with an ADP of 69; he's been cleared for training camp after a herniated disc and projects for more red-zone work following David Montgomery's exit, having averaged 0.7 TDs in six games without Montgomery versus 0.4 in 36 with him.
- DeVonta Smith is flagged as a sleeper wideout after a 1,000-yard 2025 season in a bottom-10 passing offense; with A.J. Brown now in New England, Smith becomes Philadelphia's top receiver and is projected as a top-15 fantasy WR despite an ADP outside the top 25.
- The model also has an unnamed veteran wide receiver ranked as a 'shocking' top-10 fantasy option ahead of CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown — with his identity only available on SportsLine's site.
- De'Von Achane is the model's marquee recent call: it slotted him as RB6 when his ADP was RB12, and he delivered 1,838 scrimmage yards (sixth-most in the NFL) and 12 touchdowns to finish as the actual RB6 in CBS Sports PPR leagues.
- The model's track record includes correctly tagging A.J. Brown (2020 sleeper), Jonathan Taylor's 2021 monster season, C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, and Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout, per SportsLine.
Why it matters: For fantasy drafters, LaPorta and Smith are late-round targets whose on-field roles have materially changed since last season's ADPs locked in — LaPorta gains red-zone work after Montgomery's departure, while Smith ascends to WR1 after Brown's trade to New England. The model's multi-year hit rate (Achane, Taylor, Henry, Jones) gives its current sleeper flags meaningful weight when deciding late-round picks.
