SportsLine model flags Montgomery, Cook as 2026 fantasy busts — SkimNews
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- SportsLine's computer model simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times and flagged multiple fantasy football busts, including running backs David Montgomery and James Cook.
- Terry McLaurin was called out by the same model before his 2025 season, when he posted career lows of 582 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns after a prior 1,100-yard, 13-TD campaign.
- David Montgomery, a 29-year-old Texans running back going at ADP No. 48, is ranked by the model in the same tier as late-round backs Jaylen Warren, Jadarian Price, and Kenneth Gainwell, due to a projected snap split with rookie Woody Marks.
- James Cook, being drafted as the No. 5 running back (ADP ~9 overall) and coming off an RB6 finish, is ranked RB10 by the model behind Derrick Henry and Chase Brown, with his elevated fumble rate and Josh Allen's goal-line usage cited as key risks.
- The model is also fading one of the first six wide receivers off the board, ranking him barely inside the top 10, though his identity is gated behind SportsLine's paywall.
- SportsLine cites a track record that includes A.J. Brown as a 2020 sleeper, Jonathan Taylor's 2021 breakout, C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back, and earlier calls on Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Davante Adams.
Why it matters: With the 2026 NFL regular season kicking off in roughly six days, fantasy drafters face immediate decisions: the model gives a specific, data-driven case for fading Montgomery in the fourth or fifth round and Cook in the first, pushing managers toward Derrick Henry or Chase Brown instead — a reallocation that, if the model repeats its McLaurin call, could save top-50 draft capital.
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