2026 NFL Draft and Fantasy Football Picks: Top Players and Busts to Watch

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2026 NFL Draft and Fantasy Football Picks: Top Players and Busts to Watch
Photo: CBS Sports
sports· A press review of 5 outlets
  1. The 2026 NFL regular season begins in exactly two weeks, so 2026 Fantasy football draft season is officially in full swing. 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. George Pickens, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wan'Dale Robinson and Chris Olave are examples of players who significantly outperformed their ADP expectations last year.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Top 2026 Fantasy football busts One of the 2026 Fantasy football busts the model is predicting: Houston Texans running back David Montgomery. The 29-year-old was a high-volume touchdown scorer in Detroit, but now he heads to a less explosive offense. Some Fantasy players are bullish on his upside since he's not sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, but he's still expected to split snaps with Woody Marks, who had more than 900 yards from scrimmage as a rookie.

  5. Another potential breakout that SportsLine's Fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified: Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis. Willis had stints as a clear-cut backup for the Titans and Packers, and now he gets a chance to start for Miami after signing a three-year, $67.5 million deal in the offseason. There are major questions about his surrounding cast, but playing from behind can be a good thing from a Fantasy standpoint as quarterbacks often pile up big numbers late in that scenario.

  6. The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It is on a 31-19 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks since the 2024 season, and it has been upgraded for the 2026 season to even better factor in the transfer portal. Anybody following its college football betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.

  7. Now, it has turned its attention to the latest college football odds for Week 0 and locked in picks for every FBS matchup. Head here to see every pick.

  8. So what Week 1 NFL picks can you make with confidence, and which underdogs should you lock in now? Check out the latest NFL odds below, then visit SportsLine to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned well over $7,000, and find out.

  9. The former Alabama standout has recorded more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons despite splitting carries with veteran running back David Montgomery, averaging 16.2 fantasy points per game in 2025 and 15.4 points per game during the past three seasons. Gibbs is expected to have a spike in production after the departure of Montgomery, who signed with the Houston Texans during the offseason, with more carries in 2026. Claim your Polymarket bonus here with the Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS:

  10. 1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: Robinson made great strides in his efficiency last year as despite having just one more touch than he had in 2024, he produced 411 more scrimmage yards. He's coming off a year in which his 1,478 rushing yards ranked fourth in the NFL, while he led all running backs in both receptions (79) and receiving yards (820). Robinson, like the next two players on this list, got a huge contract extension during camp, proving their value to their respective teams.

From the margins

5 details only one outlet reported

Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.

  1. 01 ESPN

    MVP, ROY races? Summer Forecast predictions for every major 2026-27 NBA award Our Summer Forecast panel reveals its predictions for all major NBA awards for the 2026-27 season.

  2. 02 Bleacher Report

    If you pooled the thoughts of 100 fantasy football experts together, you might wind up getting pulled 100 different directions.

  3. 03 Yahoo Sports

    The 2026 NASCAR season is approaching the Chase to determine this year's champion. That hasn't prevented NASCAR from looking ahead to next season. The schedule is out for 2027. As usual, it starts at Daytona in February with the Clash and the 500. It will roll on until mid-November when the series concludes at Homstead. One interesting note: The Clash is Feb. 13 and the 500 is on Feb. 21. Valentine's Day next year will have another big event: The Super Bowl.

  4. 04 CBS Sports

    Last year, the model accurately predicted that Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin would fall well short of his top-50 ADP. The result: 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.

  5. 05 SMH Sport

    Track heavy 8 and rail true RACE 1 4. The Buncha is a four-year-old on debut behind three trials. Bolted in the latest, cruising clear late after crossing to the front from wide out on a heavy surface. Had plenty in hand, and looks ready to go in what is a moderate lineup. 6. Reds Express is fit and handles rain-affected ground. Has placed in his last three when working home from midfield. Expect home track filly 8. Ultrasonic to improve at her second start, with blinkers added, after dropping out in a deeper maiden five weeks back. 2. Phenomenon is a market watch second-up after an even effort into a place at huge odds over the border on soft ground. Drawn inside and bred to handle heavy going.How to play it: The Buncha to win.

Assembled from 10 corroborated claims drawn from 5 independent outlets. Every passage above is taken verbatim — Dorothy doesn't paraphrase or summarize.

Fact Corroboration

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Coverage by Region

US
15
Australia
1

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Connections show how similarly each outlet covered this story. Thicker lines = more similar framing.

Sources (5)

  • cbssports
  • espn
  • smh-sport
  • bleacherreport
  • yahoosports

Original Articles (16)

US MVP, ROY races? Summer Forecast predictions for every major 2026-27 NBA award — ESPN
US College football Player Rank: The top 100 players ahead of the 2026 season — ESPN
US Fantasy Football Draft Strategy 2026, Latest Mock Draft and Cheat Sheet Tips - Bleacher Report — Bleacher Report
US Packers' Micah Parsons Named to NFL Top 100, Check Out the Updated 2026 Rankings - Bleacher Report — Bleacher Report
US Complete NASCAR 2027 Cup Series schedule - Yahoo Sports — Yahoo Sports
US Fantasy football rankings 2026: Busts and riskiest picks per model that called Terry McLaurin's tough season — CBS Sports
US 2026 Fantasy football draft prep: Proven experts reveal rankings, tiers, top 150, rookies, risky picks — CBS Sports
US College football score predictions for Week 0, 2026: Computer backs Memphis (+5.5) vs. UNLV — CBS Sports
US Fantasy football rankings 2026: Top breakouts by the model that nailed Tetairoa McMillan's huge season — CBS Sports
US 2026 Fantasy football predictions at Polymarket: Josh Allen, Jahmyr Gibbs favored as overall points leader — CBS Sports
US NC State vs. Virginia prediction, odds, time: 2026 Week 0 college football picks by proven model — CBS Sports
US Fantasy football 2026 rankings, draft prep: Model makes best QB, RB, WR, TE picks, cheat sheets, tiers — CBS Sports
US Week 1 NFL odds, lines, best bets, predictions: Computer model backs Eagles and Jaguars — CBS Sports
US Dynasty Fantasy football: Updated rankings at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end — CBS Sports
US Fantasy football rankings 2026: Top sleepers by the model that nailed De'Von Achane's big year — CBS Sports
Australia Tips and previews for racing at Wagga on Thursday — SMH Sport