SportsLine Model Calls Nabers, Cook 2026 Fantasy Busts
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- Malik Nabers is a flagged 2026 fantasy bust despite an ADP around pick No. 32; the model ranks him outside the top-15 receivers, pointing to his ACL recovery and a Giants offense expected to lean on the run game under OC Matt Nagy
- James Cook is another bust call, projected as RB No. 10 despite an ADP of No. 9 overall, with the model citing his higher fumble rate last season and Josh Allen's touchdown-vulture effect in Buffalo's offense
- SportsLine's model is also fading one of the first five receivers drafted in early 2026 drafts, ranking him barely inside the top 10 and calling him one of the biggest projected busts in the league
- The model ran 10,000 full-season simulations and correctly predicted Terry McLaurin's 2025 collapse, where he fell from nearly 1,100 receiving yards and 13 TDs to career lows of 582 yards and 3 TDs
- Past model track record includes calling A.J. Brown a 2020 sleeper, nailing Jonathan Taylor's 2021 breakthrough, and correctly predicting C.J. Stroud's step-back in 2024
- 2026 PPR ADP top 10 (via CBS) is led by Jahmyr Gibbs (1.62), Bijan Robinson (1.94), Ja'Marr Chase (3.38), Puka Nacua (4.44), and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (5.44)
Why it matters: Fantasy drafters following ADP blindly would overdraft Nabers (pick ~32) and Cook (top-10 RB) by roughly 15 and 1 slots respectively versus the model's ranking. With the 2026 NFL season kicking off September 9, adjusting early on these two names could mean sidestepping a McLaurin-style career-low season — the same outcome the model flagged before last year's draft.
