Fantasy Football Owners, Take Note: Key Players to Target and Avoid in 2026

The 2026 NFL regular season is just around the corner, with the kickoff game scheduled for Wednesday, September 9. As the NFL preseason enters Week 2, fantasy football owners are gearing up for another big draft weekend. With the likes of Josh Allen, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Ja’Marr Chase dominating the 2026 fantasy football rankings, it’s essential to find sleepers and rookies who outperform their ADP and avoid drafting players who end up as fantasy football busts.

Veterans like Allen, Robinson, Gibbs, and Chase will likely be among the top players on most fantasy football draft boards. However, to achieve success in fantasy football, it’s crucial to identify the right players to target and those to avoid. Before finalizing your 2026 fantasy football draft strategy, make sure to check out the 2026 fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin would fall short of his top-50 ADP. The result was a season after piling up nearly 1,100 receiving yards and a career-high 13 touchdown catches, McLaurin had career lows in receiving yards (582) and receiving touchdowns (3). Injuries were a factor, but his per-game averages were down across the board as well, so anybody who avoided him in fantasy drafts dodged a major headache.

The same model has a proven track record of providing fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021, and correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024. 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.

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. According to the model, one of the top 2026 fantasy football busts is New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers. He’s going off the board around pick No. 34, but SportsLine’s model doesn’t even have him as a top-15 receiver. In fact, it has players such as DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins above him.

Nabers isn’t a lock to be ready to start the season after tearing his ACL last season and then undergoing a follow-up procedure in the spring. The Giants are also expected to lean heavily on the run game under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, making Nabers a risky pick in the second or early third round. Another bust that SportsLine’s fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified is Bills running back James Cook. Cook is going off the board with an ADP around No. 11 overall and is the fifth running back being taken on average. SportsLine’s model, however, ranks him as RB No. 10, behind players such as Derrick Henry and Chase Brown, saying that he should be more of a late-second or even third-round pick.

Cook has stacked two impressive seasons and was the RB6 a year ago, so it’s understandable why he’s getting first-round consideration in many drafts. He did fumble at a higher rate last season, however, and he’s not an elite target out of the backfield. Also, Josh Allen always looms as a touchdown vulture for Buffalo, as these factors are why the model is leaning to other high-end backs early.

How to find proven 2026 fantasy football rankings is also a crucial aspect to consider. SportsLine is fading one of the first five receivers off the board in early 2026 fantasy football drafts. The model ranks this player barely inside the top 10 and is calling for him to be one of the biggest busts in the league this year.

The 2026 fantasy football ADP is also worth noting, with top players like Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, and Ja’Marr Chase dominating the rankings. Gibbs is going off the board at pick No. 1.30, while Robinson is being taken at No. 1.92. Chase is going off the board at No. 3.98, and Puka Nacua is being taken at No. 4.91. Jonathan Taylor is being taken at No. 5.29, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being selected at No. 6.98.

The 2026 fantasy football season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with many talented players vying for the top spots. By following the 2026 fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine, you can make informed decisions and avoid drafting players who end up as fantasy football busts.