SportsLine Flags Montgomery, Cook as 2026 Fantasy Busts
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- SportsLine's model simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times and flagged Houston Texans running back David Montgomery as a fantasy bust, slotting him in the same tier as late-round picks Jaylen Warren, Jadarian Price and Kenneth Gainwell despite Montgomery's ADP of around pick No. 51.
- James Cook is the second bust identified, with the model ranking the Bills running back as RB No. 10 even though his ADP sits around No. 10 overall, citing an elevated fumble rate and Josh Allen's presence as a touchdown vulture.
- Terry McLaurin anchors the model's credibility pitch: after a 2024 line of roughly 1,100 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, he collapsed to career lows of 582 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2025 — a downturn the model says it predicted.
- The model is also fading one of the first six wide receivers taken in 2026 drafts, ranking him barely inside the top 10 and labeling him one of the league's biggest bust risks (the specific name is gated behind SportsLine).
- Jahmyr Gibbs tops 2026 PPR ADP via CBS at 1.18, followed by Bijan Robinson (2.00), Ja'Marr Chase (4.21), Jonathan Taylor (5.11), and Puka Nacua (5.34), with Cook at No. 9 overall and Derrick Henry at No. 12.
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters face real money and roster decisions in the two weeks before the NFL opener: taking Montgomery at his ~No. 51 ADP or Cook at his ~No. 10 ADP means paying a second-round price for a player the model says belongs three to eight rounds later, a gap that could decide whether a contending roster holds up or a rebuilder's draft is already sunk by Week 4.
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