SportsLine Names 2026 Fantasy Sleepers: Likely, Pollard
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- SportsLine's projection model correctly predicted Dolphins RB De'Von Achane would outperform his RB12 ADP and finish as the RB6 in CBS Sports PPR leagues, producing 1,838 scrimmage yards (6th in the NFL) and 12 touchdowns.
- The same model has a multi-year accuracy track record, previously calling A.J. Brown in 2020, Jonathan Taylor's 2021 season, C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout, and Derrick Henry in 2019.
- Isaiah Likely, who followed coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore to the Giants this offseason, ranks TE9 in the model against an ADP of 92 — placing him ahead of Sam LaPorta and George Kittle, both of whom are being drafted nearly two full rounds earlier.
- Jaxson Dart has reportedly leaned on Likely as a favorite target with Malik Nabers (knee) limited in camp; Likely had two catches for 11 yards in the Giants' preseason opener.
- Tony Pollard has cleared 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons, and his late-2025 surge — 100 yards per game and three total touchdowns over the final five weeks — has the model placing him in the same tier as earlier-drafted backs like TreVeyon Henderson and Rico Dowdle.
- SportsLine is also gating a specific, unnamed veteran wide receiver it projects as a "shocking top-10 option" ahead of CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown, sending readers to its site for the full 2026 rankings.
Why it matters: With the regular season under four weeks out, fantasy drafters get concrete sleeper targets: Isaiah Likely at TE9 against an ADP of 92 is roughly a two-round value gap, and Tony Pollard's RB27 ADP is undercut by a model tier placement alongside backs being selected earlier. The boldest call — a veteran wide receiver projected top-10 ahead of CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown — is kept behind SportsLine's paywall, forcing drafters to subscribe or scout the call independently.
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