Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin's team at SportsLine has released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2026, and the model is warning of five busts to avoid in drafts.
A vast majority of Fantasy football drafts will go on the clock during the 2026 NFL regular season, and avoiding busts is key to winning a league. Last season, players like Lamar Jackson, Justin Jefferson, Brian Thomas Jr., and Bucky Irving left gaping holes in Fantasy lineups due to injury and/or ineffective play.
The model accurately predicted that Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin would fall well short of his top-50 ADP last season, and 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).
One of the 2026 Fantasy football busts the model is predicting is New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers. He's going off the board around pick No. 33, but SportsLine's model doesn't even have him as a top-15 receiver. Nabers isn't a lock to be ready to at the start of 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. SportsLine's model has players such as DeVonta Smith and Nico Collins above him.
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. 10 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.
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.
SportsLine is also 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 full list of Fantasy football busts 2026 can be found on SportsLine's website, along with the 2026 Fantasy football rankings for every player. Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that helped managers avoid a disastrous Terry McLaurin season in 2025.
Drafts are just around the corner, and Fantasy football owners are looking for any edge they can get. With SportsLine's Fantasy football rankings 2026, they can make informed decisions and avoid the busts that could ruin their season.
Source: CBS