RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from CBS Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sources
Fantasy football draft season is here, and NFL news such as Kyler Murray being named the starter for the Vikings over J.J McCarthy is already rolling in, with other QB battles in Atlanta and Cleveland to be decided. The search for 2026 Fantasy breakouts is on, and rookies are always a popular target. First-year players such as Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Kenyon Sadiq, Jadarian Price and KC Concepcion are expected to be near the top of their respective depth charts.
Which one of these Fantasy football rookies should you invest picks in, and which other overlooked players from around the league are set to burst onto the Fantasy scene this season? Before crafting your 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2026 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine .
Paramount+ Premium is now included with every SportsLine membership! Watch the NFL on CBS, UFC, Champions League and more than 40,000 episodes and movies. Join right here to get both for one low price .
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan would comfortably outperform his ADP (WR28). The result: McMillan had 70 grabs for 1,014 yards and seven scores en route to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He finished as WR17 in CBS Sports PPR leagues and was a great addition to Fantasy football lineups.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor's monstrous season in 2021, correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024 and calling Daniel Jones' huge 2025 season. Additionally, it's called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2026, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them .
One of the 2026 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Chargers running back Omarion Hampton, who has an ADP of No. 18 after finishing as the RB35 in PPR leagues a year ago. As a rookie, Hampton played in just nine games due to injury and finished with 737 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. He finished as the RB35 but injuries shouldn't be a concern going forward. Hampton was a durable workhorse in college, not missing a game due to injury over his last two years at UNC, while leading the ACC in carries in both seasons.
His improved health is coupled with better health from Los Angeles' starting tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, as the two Pro Bowlers combined for just six games a year ago. Their returns, plus the addition of former Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz gives Hampton one of the best O-lines in football. SportsLine's model slots him ahead of the likes of Kyren Williams and Javonte Williams, despite those two being drafted earlier on average. See more Fantasy football breakout picks here .
Another potential breakout that SportsLine's Fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified: Bears receiver Luther Burden III, who is expected to miss most of training camp with a groin injury, but will hopefully be ready by Week 1. A second-round pick in 2025, Burden ranked fourth among Chicago wideouts in targets last year with 60. He turned that into a stat line of 47-652-2, but two of the players who drew more targets in D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus are no longer in town.
That makes Burden, at worst, the No. 2 receiver for the Bears, and he actually had more yards last year than the presumptive No. 1 in Rome Odunze. Burden is an analytical darling as he ranked third among all NFL wideouts in yards after catch per reception (7.1) and ranked fourth in passer rating when targeted (123.1). The 2026 Fantasy football rankings have Burden as a top-30 wideout, despite him having a Fantasy football ADP of 55. See which other Fantasy football breakouts 2026 to pick here .
SportsLine is also extremely high on a young tight end to make a huge impact. The model ranks this player as a top-8 option ahead of more established stars like Travis Kelce and George Kittle. You can only see who it is, and the 2026 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine .
So which 2026 Fantasy Football breakouts should you target, and which TE shocks the NFL with a top-8 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Tetairoa McMillan's breakout rookie season, and find out .
(PPR, via CBS) Get Fantasy football cheat sheets at SportsLine .
1. Jahmyr Gibbs (1.34) 2. Bijan Robinson (1.93) 3. Ja'Marr Chase (4.02) 4. Puka Nacua (5.08) 5. Jonathan Taylor (5.52) 6. Christian McCaffrey (6.59) 7. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6.90) 8. Amon-Ra St. Brown (9.09) 9. James Cook (11.34) 10. De'Von Achane (11.78)
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.