SportsLine's 2026 Fantasy Sleepers: Likely, Smith
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- SportsLine's model simulated the NFL season 10,000 times and released 2026 Fantasy football rankings with sleepers, breakouts, and busts ahead of the second weekend of August draft season
- De'Von Achane validated the model's 2025 call by finishing RB6 in CBS Sports PPR leagues with 1,838 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns, comfortably outperforming his RB12 ADP
- Isaiah Likely is flagged as a sleeper after following coach John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants this offseason; the model ranks him TE9 despite an ADP of 99, ahead of players being picked nearly two rounds earlier
- DeVonta Smith is projected as a top-15 fantasy wideout despite an ADP of No. 37, having assumed Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver role after A.J. Brown was traded to New England
- The model previously identified A.J. Brown (2020), Jonathan Taylor (2021), Derrick Henry (2019), Davante Adams (2017), Daniel Jones' 2025 breakout, and C.J. Stroud's 2024 step-back
- Top three 2026 PPR ADPs via CBS: Jahmyr Gibbs (1.46), Bijan Robinson (1.90), and Ja'Marr Chase (4.00)
Why it matters: Players drafted well outside consensus — Likely at pick 99, Smith at pick 37 — offer league-winning upside if the model's track record holds, with Achane's 2025 finish (1,838 scrimmage yards) already proving the system pays off for managers who take early chances on overlooked names during August draft weekends.
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