2026 NFL Regular Season Kicks Off: Fantasy Football Experts Predict Top Performers and Wag
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The 2026 NFL regular season gets underway in less than three weeks with the kickoff game on Wednesday, Sept. 9. With Week 2 of the NFL preseason wrapping up, the time has come for Fantasy football owners to lock in on preparations for another big Fantasy football draft weekend. Veterans like Josh Allen, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Ja'Marr Chase all headline the 2026 Fantasy football rankings, and will likely be among the top players on most Fantasy football draft boards. The key to Fantasy success remains finding sleepers and rookies who outperform their Fantasy football ADP, and avoiding drafting players that end up being Fantasy football 2026 busts.
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So what is the value of every single player in the 2026 Fantasy football rankings and which huge busts could sink your season? Visit SportsLine now to see the complete 2026 Fantasy football draft bible, all from a team of proven Fantasy analysts who can give you a huge edge in your league.
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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' huge 2025 season. 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.
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Top 2026 Fantasy football breakouts One of the 2026 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Chargers running back Omarion Hampton, who has an ADP of No. 20 after finishing as the RB35 in PPR leagues a year ago. As a rookie, Hampton played in just nine games due to injury and finished with 737 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns. He finished as the RB35 but injuries shouldn't be a concern going forward. Hampton was a durable workhorse in college, not missing a game due to injury over his last two years at UNC, while leading the ACC in carries in both seasons.
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The latest BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS gives new users $150 in bonus bets if their first bet wins or up to $1,500 in bonus bets if their qualifying wager loses. The offer depends on location. Today gives a true "football is back" feel with a 10-game NFL slate to create more than 12 hours of NFL action for Week 2 of the NFL preseason. SportsLine expert Matt Severance has locked in picks from multiple games, including backing the Bengals to cover as 1.5-point underdogs against the Bears as part of Saturday NFL best bets at BetMGM Sportsbook.
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The SportsLine Projection Model has also found value in Dodgers vs. Pirates with Tarik Skubal on the mound, backing the Pirates to cover as 1.5-run underdogs on the run line for Saturday MLB best bets at DraftKings. Claim the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $150 in bonus bets after your first $5 wager:
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Combining the two picks into Saturday at BetMGM Sportsbook would result in a payout of +291 (risk $100 to profit $291, odds subject to change). Click here to take advantage of the latest BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS:
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Want more NFL, MLB picks for Saturday? You've seen some of the model's and SportsLine team of experts' Saturday best bets. Now, get against the spread, total and money-line picks for all games, including the NFL, MLB, UFC, and more, all from the SportsLine Projection Model, which has simulated every game 10,000 times.
3 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 ESPN Expanded Ultimate Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Print. Draft. Win. All the names we've been talking about in a printable cheat sheet for your draft.
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02 CBS Sports Prepared by Fantasy experts R.J. White and Josh Nagel, the Fantasy draft bible is a must-have for any serious Fantasy football player. White is SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert since 2017 who got his start in the Fantasy industry, with his work appearing at AOL Fanhouse, Fantasy Café and other sites prior to joining CBS Sports, where he is the current managing editor of Fantasy and betting content. Nagel is the longtime assistant managing editor at SportsLine and a Fantasy Football veteran. This team brings extensive Fantasy experience and can give you a huge edge in your league.
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03 Bleacher Report As the 2026 NFL season draws near, so too does the fantasy football year for managers looking to earn bragging rights and a league championship.
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Sources (3)
- cbssports
- bleacherreport
- espn