Fantasy football rankings 2026: Busts and riskiest picks by computer that called McLaurin's poor year — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- SportsLine's model simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times to produce fantasy rankings, after correctly calling Terry McLaurin's 2025 collapse (582 receiving yards, 3 TDs) well short of his top-50 ADP.
- David Montgomery is flagged as a bust despite an ADP of ~pick 51, with the model placing him in the same tier as Jaylen Warren, Jadarian Price, and 10th-rounder Kenneth Gainwell — making him a risky fourth- or fifth-round pick.
- James Cook is going at ADP ~No. 10 overall (the fifth RB off the board) but the model ranks him only RB No. 10, citing an elevated fumble rate and Josh Allen's looming presence as a touchdown vulture.
- The model is also fading one of the first six wide receivers off the board in early drafts, ranking him barely inside the top 10 — his identity is gated behind SportsLine.
- The model's track record includes identifying A.J. Brown as a 2020 sleeper, Jonathan Taylor's 2021 monster season, C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, and earlier calls on Derrick Henry (2019), McCaffrey and Kamara (2018), and Davante Adams (2017).
- 2026 top ADP (PPR via CBS) is led by Jahmyr Gibbs (1.12), Bijan Robinson (2.06), Ja'Marr Chase (4.08), and Puka Nacua (5.23), with James Cook at 9.21 and Derrick Henry at 13.82.
Why it matters: Drafters in the next eight days face a concrete trade-off: taking David Montgomery at ADP 51 or James Cook at ADP 10 versus waiting for the late-round tier the model recommends. Managers who heed the calls could avoid the kind of roster hole McLaurin's 2025 collapse created — the exact dip the model did predict.
Ask SkimNews
