SportsLine Model Names Likely, Pollard 2026 Fantasy Sleepers — SkimNews
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- SportsLine's model released 2026 fantasy football rankings and sleepers after simulating the NFL season 10,000 times, flagging Isaiah Likely, Tony Pollard, and a third-round wide receiver as its top targets.
- Isaiah Likely is ranked TE9 by the model despite an ADP of 92, after following coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore to the Giants where he has become quarterback Jaxson Dart's reported favorite target.
- Tony Pollard, 29, has cleared 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons and averaged 100 yards per game with three total touchdowns over the final five weeks of 2025, yet is going off the board around pick No. 77.
- De'Von Achane produced 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025 to finish as RB6 in CBS Sports PPR leagues — exactly where SportsLine had slotted him after he entered with an RB12 ADP.
- The model's track record includes calling Derrick Henry (2019), Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara (2018), Davante Adams (2017), A.J. Brown (2020), Jonathan Taylor (2021), C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, and Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout.
- A third-round wide receiver is ranked by the model as a top-10 option ahead of CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and A.J. Brown, though his identity is gated behind SportsLine's paywall.
Why it matters: Drafters who trust the model over consensus ADP get two starting-caliber players — Likely (TE9 vs. ADP 92) and Pollard (model tier with backs picked earlier vs. ADP 77) — at backup prices, with 10,000 simulations backing the call. The framework already proved itself on Achane, whose RB6 finish matched the model's pre-season projection.
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