SportsLine Model Flags Nabers, Cook as 2026 Fantasy Busts
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- SportsLine's computer model simulated the 2026 NFL season 10,000 times and identified Malik Nabers and James Cook among its top Fantasy football busts, with the full rankings and cheat sheets gated behind a visit to SportsLine.
- Malik Nabers is going off draft boards around pick No. 33 but SportsLine ranks him outside the top 15 receivers, behind DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins, citing his uncertain readiness after tearing his ACL and a follow-up spring procedure plus a run-heavy Giants offense under OC Matt Nagy.
- James Cook carries an ADP around No. 11 overall (RB5 on average) after finishing RB6 last year, but SportsLine ranks him as RB10 behind Derrick Henry and Chase Brown and recommends targeting him in the late-second or third round, pointing to a higher 2024 fumble rate and Josh Allen as a touchdown vulture.
- Terry McLaurin validated the model's 2025 call by falling from nearly 1,100 receiving yards and a career-high 13 touchdown catches to career lows of 582 receiving yards and 3 TDs, with per-game averages down across the board even after accounting for injuries.
- The model has a multi-year track record that includes identifying A.J. Brown as a 2020 sleeper, calling Jonathan Taylor's 2021 monster season, and predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024.
- SportsLine is also fading one of the first five receivers taken in early 2026 drafts, ranking that player barely inside the top 10 and calling him one of the league's biggest bust risks, with the identity available only on SportsLine.
Why it matters: With the Sept. 9 kickoff under three weeks away, drafters are locking in boards now and the model is specifically arguing against two consensus top-15 picks: Nabers in the WR1-2 range (ADP ~33) and Cook at RB5 (ADP ~11). The source's full rankings, sleepers, and the mystery WR bust pick all sit behind SportsLine's paywall, so managers who want the model's full cheat sheet must visit the site.
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