Fantasy Football Sleepers: The Key to Success in the 2026 Season

The third weekend in August marks the beginning of the 2026 Fantasy football draft windows, as training camps are well underway and every team has played at least one preseason game. Hitting on a few Fantasy football sleepers is crucial, regardless of the type of league you’re in, which means finding those hidden gems that others tend to overlook with their Fantasy football picks. This also involves taking risks on injury-prone players with the hope that they’ll bounce back as Fantasy football sleepers in 2026.

Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey, and Chris Olave all managed to overcome the injury bug last year, providing massive returns for those who took a chance on them. Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Malik Nabers could have similar bounce backs from injury-plagued seasons this year, making them steals as picks, relative to their 2026 Fantasy football ADPs. Before finalizing your 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy, it’s essential to check out the 2026 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The Model’s Proven Track Record

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Dolphins running back De’Von Achane would comfortably outperform his ADP (RB12). The result was 1,838 scrimmage yards, sixth most in the NFL, 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. Anyone who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.

Top 2026 Fantasy Football Sleepers

One of the 2026 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting is 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 96 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 is Titans running back Tony Pollard. 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, but SportsLine’s model has him in the same tier as backs being picked earlier like TreVeyon Henderson and Rico Dowdle.

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.