Fantasy Football Rankings 2026: Sleepers from Simulation that Nailed De’Von Achane’s Amazing Year

The 2026 NFL regular season is just around the corner, marking the beginning of the fantasy football draft season. To succeed in this year’s fantasy football league, it’s crucial to identify those hidden gems, or sleepers, who might have flown under the radar with their fantasy football picks. This means taking a chance on injury-prone players who could potentially bounce back and deliver impressive performances.

As seen in the 2025 season, players like Dak Prescott, Christian McCaffrey, and Puka Nacua overcame injuries to become top performers for those who took a chance on them. This year, Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, and Terry McLaurin could follow a similar path and provide excellent value relative to their fantasy football ADPs.

Before finalizing your fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2026 fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine. With a track record of accurately predicting standout performances, SportsLine’s model has identified several sleepers who could make a significant impact in the upcoming season.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Dolphins running back De’Von Achane would comfortably outperform his ADP (RB12). The result was Achane producing 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 of 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. The model has identified several key players who could make a significant impact in the upcoming season.

One of the fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting is New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely. 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 is Titans running back Tony Pollard. Pollard, who has been dealing with a minor foot injury in camp, but not expected to miss regular-season game time, 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.

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.

2026 fantasy football ADP (PPR, via CBS) is as follows:

• 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)

This year, fantasy football owners will be looking for the best sleepers to round out their rosters. With the help of SportsLine’s model, you can make informed decisions and find the hidden gems that could make a significant impact in the upcoming season.