LaPorta, DeVonta Smith Top 2026 Fantasy Football Sleepers
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- Sam LaPorta carries an ADP of 69 after being cleared from a herniated disc, and his career TD rate jumps to 0.7 in six games without David Montgomery compared to 0.4 TDs across 36 games with Montgomery in the backfield.
- DeVonta Smith produced a 1,000-yard season in 2025 while playing in a bottom-10 passing offense, and with A.J. Brown shipped to New England, the model projects Smith as a top-15 fantasy wideout despite an ADP outside the top 25 at the position.
- SportsLine's model correctly predicted Dolphins running back De'Von Achane as the RB6 last season — Achane delivered 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns — and the same model previously flagged breakouts for A.J. Brown (2020), Jonathan Taylor (2021), Derrick Henry (2019), and Daniel Jones (2025).
- Joe Burrow and Malik Nabers are cited as potential injury bounce-back candidates after Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey, and Chris Olave all shook off injuries last year to deliver huge fantasy seasons.
- SportsLine simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times to generate its 2026 rankings and is also projecting an unnamed veteran wide receiver as a shocking top-10 fantasy option ahead of stars like CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown.
Why it matters: LaPorta gains expanded red-zone opportunities after Montgomery's departure from Detroit — a concrete usage change the model quantifies — while Smith steps into a true WR1 role in Philadelphia's retooled passing attack, giving fantasy drafters two situations where role vacancy meets proven production at a depressed cost.
