SportsLine Model Reveals 2026 Fantasy Football Sleepers — SkimNews
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- SportsLine simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times and released Fantasy football rankings identifying sleepers, breakouts, and busts ahead of Labor Day weekend drafts
- De'Von Achane produced 1,838 scrimmage yards (sixth-most in the NFL) and 12 touchdowns in 2025, finishing as RB6 — matching the model's pre-season RB6 projection after it called him to outperform his RB12 ADP
- Isaiah Likely is a top sleeper after following coach John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants; the model ranks him TE9 ahead of Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce, with an ADP of 92
- Tony Pollard is flagged as a sleeper pick at age 29, coming off four straight 1,000-yard seasons and 100 yards per game with three total touchdowns over the final five weeks of 2025
- CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and A.J. Brown are all ranked below a mystery wide receiver in the model's projections, with that receiver going off the board in rounds 3-4 of typical drafts — identity gated behind SportsLine's paywall
- Derrick Henry was among the model's past sleeper calls in 2019, alongside A.J. Brown (2020), Jonathan Taylor (2021), C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara (2018), and Davante Adams (2017)
Why it matters: For Fantasy players drafting this Labor Day weekend, the model offers actionable picks at different price points — TE9 value for Likely at an ADP of 92, a late-round RB in Pollard at pick 77, and a top-10 WR projection ahead of consensus stars Lamb and Jefferson. The credibility pitch rests on the model's Achane call and a roster of past sleeper hits running from 2017 Adams through 2025 Jones.
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