SportsLine model tabs Sam LaPorta and DeVonta Smith as 2026 fantasy sleepers
SportsLine says its NFL model ran 10,000 season simulations and found draft value in two familiar names entering the 2026 fantasy season.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Sam LaPorta and DeVonta Smith are getting the sleeper siren from SportsLine’s fantasy football model as 2026 drafts begin to heat up.
According to CBS Sports writer Ross Kelly, SportsLine simulated the NFL season 10,000 times before releasing its latest 2026 fantasy football rankings, sleepers, breakouts and busts. The timing is prime draft-prep season, with NFL training camps starting this weekend and the Hall of Fame Game set for Aug. 6.
SportsLine is leaning on its model’s past calls as part of the pitch. Kelly reported that the system had Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane ahead of market last year, ranking him as RB6 when his average draft position was RB12.
Achane then produced 1,838 yards from scrimmage, sixth most in the NFL, with 12 touchdowns, according to the CBS Sports report. He also finished sixth among running backs in fantasy points in CBS Sports PPR leagues, matching the model’s RB6 projection.
The report also credited the model with previous calls on A.J. Brown in 2020, Jonathan Taylor in 2021, C.J. Stroud’s step back in 2024 and Daniel Jones’ 2025 breakout. SportsLine also cited past sleeper picks including Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017.
LaPorta gets a rebound case
One of the model’s named 2026 sleepers is Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, who carries an average draft position of 72, according to SportsLine.
LaPorta’s fantasy profile has slid since his record-setting rookie season in 2023, when he set the touchdown mark for a first-year tight end. Kelly reported that LaPorta went from TE1 as a rookie to TE6 in 2024 and TE26 in 2025.
SportsLine noted that LaPorta missed half of last season, which hurt his final ranking. The model’s case is that he is expected to be healthy for Week 1 and that his underlying production looked better than the fantasy finish.
Kelly reported that LaPorta averaged a career-best 54.3 receiving yards in 2025. SportsLine also pointed to a possible scoring boost after Detroit lost David Montgomery, who averaged 11 touchdowns across three seasons with the Lions.
In six career games without Montgomery, LaPorta averaged 0.7 touchdowns, compared with 0.4 touchdowns across 36 games when Montgomery played, according to the report.
Smith steps into a bigger role
SportsLine’s other named sleeper is Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who is being projected for a jump after a 1,000-yard 2025 season.
Kelly reported that Smith reached that mark while playing in a Philadelphia offense that ranked in the bottom 10 in passing. The Eagles have since changed offensive coordinators and traded A.J. Brown to New England, according to the CBS Sports report.
SportsLine’s model sees Smith taking over as Philadelphia’s top wide receiver and getting more targets with Brown gone. The report compared the setup to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle last season, when he rose into the No. 1 receiver role after DK Metcalf left and won Offensive Player of the Year.
For 2026, SportsLine projects Smith as a top-15 fantasy wide receiver even though his average draft position puts him outside the top 25 at the position, according to Kelly.
The report also says the model is high on an unnamed veteran wide receiver, ranking him as a top-10 option ahead of CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown, with the full rankings available through SportsLine.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.