Fantasy football rankings 2026: Sleepers from model that nailed De'Von Achane's terrific season

SportsLine simulated the NFL season 10,000 times and revealed its 2026 Fantasy football sleepers for Fantasy football 2026 draft prep

Aug 8, 2026 at 10:39 am ET • 3 min read

Fantasy football drafts 2026 are going on the clock as the second weekend of August marks one of the first big draft weekends. 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 Chris Olave all shook off the injury bug last year to come up huge for those who took chances on them. Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Malik Nabers 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. 

Top 2026 Fantasy football sleepers

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. 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: Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith, who has an ADP of No. 38. Playing in a bottom-10 passing offense, Smith still produced a 1,000-yard season in 2025. Philly then replaced its offensive coordinator and sent A.J. Brown to New England, as Smith will now assume the top wideout role with the Eagles, as well as the increase in targets that comes with it.

A similar scenario played out in Seattle last season, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba ascending to the WR1 role once DK Metcalf departed, and 'JSN' won the OPOY award. Given the renewed focus the Eagles will put on the passing game, plus Smith having less competition for targets, the model sees him poised for a career season. He's projected to be a top-15 Fantasy wideout this season, despite his ADP putting him outside the top 25 at his position. See which other Fantasy football sleepers 2026 to pick here.

How to find proven 2026 Fantasy football rankings

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.

2026 Fantasy football ADP

(PPR, via CBS)
Get Fantasy football cheat sheets at SportsLine.

1. Jahmyr Gibbs (1.46)
2. Bijan Robinson (1.83)
3. Ja'Marr Chase (4.11)
4. Puka Nacua (4.51)
5. Jonathan Taylor (5.63)
6. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6.20)
7. Christian McCaffrey (7.00)
8. Amon-Ra St. Brown (8.77)
9. De'Von Achane (11.00)
10. James Cook (12.17)