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AIPROPX ReportCBS Sports · 1h ago
Fantasy football rankings 2026: Sleepers from simulation that nailed De'Von Achane's amazing year
The 2026 NFL regular season begins in just under three weeks, so 2026 Fantasy football draft season is officially in full swing. Hitting on a few 2026 Fantasy football sleepers is a must, no matter what type of league you're in, and that means finding those diamonds in the rough that others bypass with Fantasy football picks. It also means taking chances on injury-prone players with the hope that they'll bounce back as Fantasy football 2026 sleepers.
Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey and Puka Nacua all shook off the injury bug last year to come up huge for those who took chances on them. Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Terry McLaurin could have similar bounce backs from injury-plagued seasons this year and be steals as picks, relative to their 2026 Fantasy football ADPs. Before finalizing 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 .
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Last year, the model accurately predicted that Dolphins running back De'Von Achane would comfortably outperform his ADP (RB12). The result: Achane produced 1,838 scrimmage yards -- sixth most in the NFL -- to go along with 12 touchdowns. SportsLine's model slotted Achane as the RB6, and that's precisely what he finished as, ranking sixth among RBs in Fantasy points in CBS Sports PPR leagues.
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' breakout season in 2025. 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 sleepers the model is predicting: New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely, who followed coach John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants this offseason. Likely, who has an ADP of 97 this year, showed big-play capability in Baltimore, but always battled Mark Andrews for targets.
Now the clear-cut No. 1 tight end, Likely has reportedly been a favorite target of quarterback Jaxson Dart, especially with Malik Nabers (knee) limited in camp. He had two catches for 11 yards in the preseason opener. SportsLine's model has Likely as TE9 in its Fantasy football rankings, ahead of players such as Sam LaPorta and George Kittle, both of whom are being picked nearly two rounds earlier.
Another sleeper that SportsLine's Fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified: Titans running back Tony Pollard, who has been dealing with a minor foot injury in camp, but not expected to miss regular-season game time. His status is uncertain for Week 2 in hte preseason against the Seahawks. The 29-year-old has now cleared 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons -- two of those with the Cowboys and two with the Titans. Backs approaching age 30 often fall out of favor in Fantasy, but Pollard actually surged late in 2025, averaging 100 yards per game and scoring three total times in the last five weeks of the season.
The Titans could take a big step forward in the passing game this year, possibly opening up more room for Pollard. He's going off the board around pick No. 75, making him the RB27, but SportsLine's model has him in the same tier as backs being picked earlier like TreVeyon Henderson and Rico Dowdle. See which other Fantasy football sleepers 2026 to pick here .
SportsLine is also extremely high on a veteran wide receiver to surprise with his production. The model says this wideout is a shocking top-10 option ahead of stars like CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown. You can only see who it is, and the 2026 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine .
So which 2026 Fantasy Football sleepers should you target, and which wide receiver shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called De'Von Achane's huge season, and find out .
(PPR, via CBS) Get Fantasy football cheat sheets at SportsLine .
1. Jahmyr Gibbs (1.30) 2. Bijan Robinson (1.92) 3. Ja'Marr Chase (3.98) 4. Puka Nacua (4.91) 5. Jonathan Taylor (5.29) 6. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6.98) 7. Christian McCaffrey (7.20) 8. Amon-Ra St. Brown (9.15) 9. James Cook (11.11) 10. De'Von Achane (11.75) 11. Ashton Jeanty (12.93) 12. Chase Brown (13.09)
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