SportsLine Model Tabs Likely, Pollard as 2026 Sleepers
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- SportsLine's model simulated the NFL season 10,000 times to produce 2026 Fantasy football rankings, after the same model correctly predicted De'Von Achane would outperform his RB12 ADP last year — he finished as RB6 with 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.
- Isaiah Likely (TE, Giants) is ranked TE9 by the model despite an ADP of 92, placing him ahead of Sam LaPorta and George Kittle, who are being drafted nearly two rounds earlier; he followed coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore and has reportedly been a favorite target of QB Jaxson Dart.
- Tony Pollard (RB, Titans) is flagged as a sleeper at RB27 with an ADP around pick 70, but the model places him in the same tier as backs being picked earlier like TreVeyon Henderson and Rico Dowdle, citing four straight 1,000-yard seasons and a late-2025 surge of 100 yards per game over the final five weeks.
- The model's track record extends beyond Achane, including identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor's 2021 season, correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would step back in 2024, and calling Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout.
- Lamar Jackson, Alvin Kamara, and Sam LaPorta are positioned as potential bounce-back candidates after injury-plagued seasons, following the 2025 pattern of Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey, and Puka Nacua, who shook off injuries to deliver big Fantasy seasons.
- A mystery veteran wide receiver is projected as a 'shocking top-10' option ahead of stars like CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown — but the identity is gated behind SportsLine's subscription.
- The 2026 PPR ADP is led by Jahmyr Gibbs (1.34), Bijan Robinson (1.93), Ja'Marr Chase (4.02), Puka Nacua (5.08), and Jonathan Taylor (5.52), according to CBS Sports.
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters have a computationally backed contrarian alternative to consensus ADP, with the model ranking Likely two rounds ahead of his draft slot and elevating Pollard into the same tier as backs picked earlier — the same model with a multi-year track record of sleeper hits including Achane's 1,838-yard 2025 and Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout.
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