SportsLine Model Names 2026 Fantasy Sleepers
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- De'Von Achane finished as RB6 in CBS Sports PPR leagues with 1,838 scrimmage yards (6th in the NFL) and 12 touchdowns in 2025, validating the SportsLine model that had him ranked RB6 against his RB12 ADP entering last season.
- Isaiah Likely is ranked TE9 by the model with an ADP of 98, after following coach John Harbaugh from Baltimore to the Giants; he's reportedly a favorite target of rookie QB Jaxson Dart, with Nabers limited by a knee injury in camp.
- Tony Pollard is flagged as a sleeper with an ADP of 76 (RB27); the 29-year-old 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.
- The model — which previously called A.J. Brown (2020), Jonathan Taylor's 2021 monster season, C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout, Derrick Henry (2019), Christian McCaffrey/Alvin Kamara (2018), and Davante Adams (2017) — simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times.
- SportsLine is also high on a wide receiver going in the third or fourth round of most drafts whom the model ranks in its top 10, ahead of CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and A.J. Brown; the player's identity sits behind SportsLine's paywall.
Why it matters: Fantasy players drafting before the NFL's regular-season opener — two weeks away — gain a model with a documented multi-year sleeper track record, including last year's Achane call (model had him RB6 vs. RB12 ADP; he delivered 1,838 scrimmage yards). The named sleepers represent concrete draft-day value gaps: Likely at TE9 vs. an ADP of 98, Pollard at RB27 vs. pick 76.
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