Fantasy football draft season is here, and NFL news such as Kyler Murray being named the starter for the Vikings over J.J McCarthy is already rolling in, with other QB battles in Atlanta and Cleveland to be decided. The search for 2026 Fantasy breakouts is on, and rookies are always a popular target. First-year players such as Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate, Omar Cooper, Jadarian Price and Makai Lemon are expected to be near the top of their respective depth charts, while top overall pick Fernando Mendoza is expected to sit come Week 1.

Which one of these Fantasy football rookies should you invest picks in, and which other overlooked players from around the league are set to burst onto the Fantasy scene this season? Before crafting your 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2026 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

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Last year, the model accurately predicted that Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan would comfortably outperform his ADP (WR28). The result: McMillan had 70 grabs for 1,014 yards and seven scores en route to being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He finished as WR17 in CBS Sports PPR leagues and was a great addition to Fantasy football lineups.

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.

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. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

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.

His improved health is coupled with better health from Los Angeles’ starting tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, as the two Pro Bowlers combined for just six games a year ago. Their returns, plus the addition of former Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz gives Hampton one of the best O-lines in football. SportsLine’s model slots him ahead of the likes of Kyren Williams and Javonte Williams, despite those two being drafted earlier on average. See more Fantasy football breakout picks here.

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.

His ability to run helps raise his floor substantially, but his ADP is only No. 147 overall. SportsLine’s model ranks him above Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray, Bo Nix and others being picked earlier, making Willis a sneaky later-round pick who can be a strong QB2 on a Fantasy roster and potentially much more. See which other Fantasy football breakouts 2026 to pick here.

How to find proven 2026 Fantasy football rankings

SportsLine is also extremely high on a young tight end to make a huge impact. The model ranks this player as a top-8 option ahead of more established stars like Travis Kelce and George Kittle. You can only see who it is, and the 2026 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.

So which 2026 Fantasy Football breakouts should you target, and which TE shocks the NFL with a top-8 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Tetairoa McMillan’s breakout rookie season, and find out.

2026 Fantasy football ADP

(PPR, via CBS)
Get Fantasy football cheat sheets at SportsLine.

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)  

The 26-year-old wide receiver is set to enter his sixth NFL season with Baltimore in 2026

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Aug 21, 2026

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1 min read

Four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb called it a career Friday night, announcing his retirement from professional football after eight seasons on Instagram. The 30-year-old began his career with the Cleveland Browns after being drafted 35th overall in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia. 

Chubb reeled off four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 2019 to 2022, which earned him four consecutive Pro Bowl selections. His best year came in 2022 with a career-high 1,525 yards rushing to go along with a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns. That production earned him second-team All-Pro honors. The 2023 season is when injuries began to rob him of his prime years. He tore both his MCL, meniscus and ACL in 2023 after a gruesome knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 that year.  Chubb returned to action in Week 7 of the 2024 season before suffering another season-ending injury in Week 15 that year against the Kansas City Chiefs, this time a foot fracture. He was a shell of himself in 2025 with the Houston Texans after the second, significant lower body injury as he rushed for just 506 yards and 3 touchdowns on 122 carries. That’s why he called it quits while remaining a free agent two weeks into the 2026 preseason. 

“Today’s the day I’ve been avoiding for a while,” Chubb wrote. “Twelve-year-old me could never imagine this day, and 30-year-old me is wondering where all the time has gone. I’ve known for some time now, but I’m finally ready to share that I’m done playing football. I wanted to end my career on a healthy note, along with a winning season, and I was able to do that. At the beginning of this journey, I made many promises to myself. The No. 1 promise I made was that I would always stay true to who I am and forget the things that made me, me. That promise meant always being the hardest-working person, not whether where I was or what the circumstances were.”

Chubb’s peak of his first five seasons from 2018 to 2022 stands almost without equal in NFL history after he registered 6,341 yards rushing on a 5.2 yards per carry average. He and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown are the only players in league history with 6,000-plus rushing yards and 5-plus yards per carry in their first five seasons, per CBS Sports Research. Chubb’s sixth season in 2023 is when his career-altering knee injury occurred. 

“In the NFL, I wanted to lead the league in rushing, win MVP and win a Super Bowl for the city of Cleveland,” Chubb said. “I wasn’t able to accomplish any of those things. … What’s most frustrating but also gives me peace is that I know for a fact I gave it my all.”

Spurs struggled last season, securing survival on the final day and finishing just two points above the relegation zone. Maddison said it was tough not to be able to help out.

“We probably struggled a little bit for creativity and I’m watching the games thinking, ‘what would I be doing there?’,” he said.

Despite those tough experiences, the midfielder described how Italian head coach Roberto de Zerbi helped lift the mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after taking over in March.

“He’s very clever. He’s very tactical. He’s obsessed with football, you can see that,” said Maddison.

“But to be honest, when he first came in – in comparison to pre-season and what we’re training now – he didn’t want to make it too complicated. He just wanted us to get the love back for playing football.”

One of the first things the Italian did, revealed Maddison, was to organise a team meal, where alcohol was allowed.

The 29-year-old described De Zerbi telling his team: “We’re all going to be drinking alcohol, we’re all going to be having a good night.”

Maddison explained: “He wanted us to have a night where we all just relax.

“That feeling that we got made everyone feel more knitted together, straight away.”

Another thing De Zerbi did early on in his tenure was to put Maddison on the bench.

“I was almost like, ‘I’m not ready to play yet, boss’,” the midfielder said.

“But he said no. He said I can come on the bench in my slippers if I want. He just wanted me around the group and he thought that would benefit the group. I took that as a massive compliment and just acted as if I was part of the bench, part of the team.

“I’m not saying that’s the reason why, but we managed to steer clear of the danger, which was a good feeling.”

The midfielder made his return against Leeds on 11 May, but he has not been risked in pre-season so far. Despite that, Maddison remains confident for the season ahead.

“I’m working so hard to try and be fully fit and available for the majority of the season,” he said.

“I want just a fully fit, healthy season where I can just enjoy football. Because if I’m fully fit and I’m healthy, then I know what I’m capable of. And I know that I can affect games more than a lot of players in this league. So, let’s just hope for that.”

FILE – Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson handles the ball during an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Dallas, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

DALLAS– The Dallas Mavericks and Klay Thompson have agreed on a contract buyout, ending a two-year NBA tenure that was wrecked by the shocking trade of Luka Doncic.

Thompson intends to sign with the Miami Heat once he clears waivers, according to a person familiar with the five-time All-Star’s plans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because Thompson has yet to reveal that detail publicly. Assuming he is not claimed by another club, Thompson may be able to sign with the Heat as early as Sunday.

READ: NBA: Klay Thompson moves up 3-point list as Mavericks rout Jazz

The buyout announcement comes after the Mavericks missed the playoffs in both of Thompson’s seasons, which came after Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024.

Thompson joined Dallas in a sign-and-trade with Golden State, giving the Mavericks one of the league’s all-time great 3-point shooters to complement Doncic and another high-scoring guard in Kyrie Irving.

But the high hopes for that threesome imploded after the Mavericks sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for the oft-injured Anthony Davis in a deal before the trade deadline in 2025. Irving tore the ACL in his left knee a month later and hasn’t played since. Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards just before the February trade deadline last season.

The Doncic trade ended up derailing the franchise, although Dallas overcame steep odds to win the draft lottery a few months later. With the No. 1 overall pick, the Mavericks selected Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg, who ended up winning Rookie of the Year.

Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) gestures after scoring a 3-pointer during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz in Dallas, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The addition of Flagg led to Thompson coming off the bench in most games for the first time since his rookie year with Golden State.

The buyout of Thompson is the latest in a major retooling of the Dallas roster. His departure leaves just five players from opening day two years ago, along with a new front office in president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz and a new coach in Dusty May, who replaced Jason Kidd.

Thompson won four NBA titles alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with the Warriors. The 36-year-old spent his first 13 seasons with Golden State, although he missed two entire seasons with knee and Achilles injuries.

The five-time All-Star averaged 12.9 points and shot 39% from 3-point range in his two years with the Mavericks. His career marks are 19.6 points per game and 41% shooting from beyond the arc.

Thompson passed Damian Lillard for fourth place on the career 3-point list in January. He has 2,899 3-pointers, trailing Curry, James Harden and Ray Allen.

Thompson missed the playoffs just twice in the 11 seasons he played for the Warriors. He matched that number in his only two seasons with Dallas.

“Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization,” Ujiri said. “We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career.”

The second week of the NFL preseason is underway with five games in the books entering the weekend. 

Preseason football is like a box of chocolates as Forrest Gump would say, “You never know what you’re going to get.” That’s because some squads have their starters chained to the bench, some play minimal snaps and some could receive as much of a half of work. Observing who could emerge as a real contributor from the chaos that is preseason football is tricky given the varying degrees of skill levels on the field all at the same time, but it’s possible to identify who maximized their opportunity and who would like a do-over. 

Let’s kick off the weekend by identifying the winners and losers of Week 2 of the 2026 preseason.

Winners

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De’Zaun Stribling 

San Francisco 49ers 2026 second-round pick wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, the rookie 33rd overall pick out of Ole Miss, is THE breakout star of the preseason this year. After catching four of his five targets for 46 yards receiving on Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers, Stribling is now up to 11 catches for 109 yards receiving on 13 targets. That makes Stribling the first player since at least 2017 to produce at least 11 catches combined within the first 20 minutes of two consecutive preseason games, per CBS Sports Research. Many preseason All-Stars don’t end up contributing much outside of special teams for their respective squads, but it’s safe to say Stribling will have a place on head coach Kyle Shanahan’s play call sheet early this regular season. That’s especially true when factoring in how snake-bitten by injury San Francisco is at the position.

The Houston Texans defense

No, Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley Jr. and the rest of the starters from the NFL’s No. 1 total defense (277.2 total yards per game allowed) in 2025 weren’t on the field Thursday night, but the Houston Texans‘ ferocious tenacity on defense certainly was. 

They bullied Las Vegas Raiders first overall pick rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza in the first half, generating an 80-yard pick-six by fourth-round rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz and an 11-yard sack by second-round rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. 

Seeing McDonald flash pass rush chops like this should send shivers down the spines of offensive coordinators all around the league. If there was an area Houston needed to shore up on their defense, it was defensive tackle, and they were able to do so by drafting McDonald, the 2026 NFL Draft’s top defensive tackle prospect in the eyes of many, including yours truly. McDonald, who is listed at 6-foot-3-inches tall while weighing 326 pounds, was more of a run stuffer than a pass rusher in college at Ohio State, but if he can find his groove early on when tasked to get after the quarterback, Houston’s defense could be a much greater problem for the rest of the league. 

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Jermod McCoy 

Tennessee All-SEC cornerback Jermod McCoy profiled as a likely first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft until the medicals surrounding his knee scared teams away. McCoy did suffer a torn ACL in January of 2025, but fears about inflammation and arthritis in his knee caused him to tumble all the way down to being the 101st overall pick and a fourth-round draft choice. 

In the Raiders’ 22-20 preseason victory over the Texans on Thursday, McCoy appeared to be moving well and in phase with opposing wide receivers when tasked with dropping back into man coverage. Perhaps he can end up becoming the best value pick of the 2026 rookie draft class if given the opportunity to receive snaps with Las Vegas’ starting defense. 

Geno Smith

Outside of Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, perhaps no other quarterback had a more depressing 2025 season than Geno Smith. The two-time Pro Bowler led the NFL in both sacks taken (55) and interceptions thrown (17) last season while attempting to pilot then-offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s scheme with the Las Vegas Raiders. Those statistics made Smith just the sixth quarterback since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to lead the NFL in both sacks and interceptions in the same season. Kelly had to trudge back down to the college ranks, where he is now Northwestern’s offensive coordinator. 

Smith, a second-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2013 NFL Draft, returned to New York after the Jets acquired him and a 2026 seventh-round pick from the Raiders in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick. He kicked off his second stint with the Jets with a perfect drive while leading the Jets’ starting lineup on the opening possession against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday before head coach Aaron Glenn decided he’d seen enough from the 35-year-old veteran quarterback to end his night. 

Smith completed all seven of his throws on New York’s opening drive, including the 13-yard scoring strike to tight end Jelani Woods. He also connected with both of the Jets’ top wide receivers, Garrett Wilson (one catch on one target for 10 yards) and Adonai Mitchell (two catches on two targets for 29 yards), to finish the night with 65 yards passing. Perhaps Smith’s 2025 season was more a product of the overall ineptitude of Kelly’s and Pete Caroll’s offensive coaching staff. Carroll was given the boot after just one season in Las Vegas, after all. 

New York Jets defense

The 2025 New York Jets became the first team in NFL history to finish a season with zero interceptions in a regular season. That dry spell unofficially ended in Week 2 of the preseason. Safety Andre Cisco jumped Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard’s throw to wide receiver Roman Wilson for the takeaway. 

Jets cornerback Samuel Womack III, a 27-year-old journeyman, generated New York’s second takeaway of the night on another interception of Howard. Safe to say New York is an exponentially better ball-hawking group than their 2025 squad. 

Bo Nix

The last time Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was on a football field, he was fresh off breaking his ankle in an overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round. He returned to action in Week 2 of the preseason and thrived in his two drives, helping generate 10 points for Denver. Nix connected with new No. 1 target Jaylen Waddle up the seam, and the former Miami Dolphins speedster blew by Green Bay Packers All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney for a gain of 35 yards. That’s the big play threat Denver sorely lacked in 2025. 

He then capped the drive by lofting a pinpoint pass to running back RJ Harvey on a wheel route down the right sideline for the 21-yard touchdown toss. Denver head coach Sean Payton ended Nix’s night after the Broncos drilled a 53-yard field goal at the conclusion of his second drive, so he finished with 76 yards passing and a touchdown on 6 of 9 passing. Not a bad way to shake the rust off after suffering a broken ankle. 

Packers special teams

Special teams have been a bugaboo for Green Bay for the last several seasons since the Packers’ all-time scoring leader, Mason Crosby, took over as the team’s kicker following the conclusion of the 2022 season. The dark days at Green Bay’s kicker position might be over thanks to sixth-round rookie Trey Smack. He drilled two 58-yard field goals in the first week of the preseason, one of which didn’t count because of a defensive penalty. In Week 2 in Denver, he smacked, pun intended, a 51-yard kick, a 59-yard kick and a 43-yard kick through the uprights, the latter of which occurred as time expired in the first half. Green Bay All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in Denver last season, is fired up about Smack’s performance from the couch.

It wasn’t just Smack showing out for the Packers’ special teams unit. Veteran wide receiver Skyy Moore took the game’s opening kickoff for 30 yards out to the Green Bay 37, and veteran running back Pierre Strong Jr. ripped off a 68-yard kickoff return down to Denver’s 32. Looks like Packers new special teams coordinator Cam Achord has found an early groove in Green Bay. 

Jonathan Brooks

Brooks, who was the first running back drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft with the 46th overall pick in the second round by the Carolina Panthers, finally found the end zone in the NFL for the first time. Brooks tore his ACL in his final season at the University of Texas, and he missed the entire 2025 NFL season with another ACL tear he suffered in 2024. He is back in action this preseason, and Brooks was able to shimmy his way into the end zone from a yard out at the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Losers

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Fernando Mendoza

First overall pick, rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza had a couple of “Welcome to the NFL” moments on Thursday night against the smashmouth Houston Texans defense, tossing an 80-yard pick-six and taking an 11-yard sack. He finished his night with just 86 yards, and the interception return touchdown thrown while completing 8 of his 15 passes. 

“It was a play action play, went through my progression, probably should’ve checked it down to the flat. I saw the flat player get over late to him,” Mendoza told reporters when asked about his interception return touchdown thrown. “At that point, I started backing up and threw the check down to Mike Washington. It was not a good throw, we weren’t on the same page and it was an interception.”  

Mendoza did have some nice moments, like a 22-yard dart to Raiders wide receiver Jalen Nailor in the middle of the field and just in between the Texans’ zone defense. He wasn’t asked to make a ton of those high-difficulty throws over the middle in college, but they are a staple of head coach Klint Kubiak’s Shanahan-tree offense. 

Overall, Mendoza had a tough night at the office despite the occasional flash here and there. 

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Punter JK Scott

Surrendering a punt return touchdown as a punter is never fun, but Los Angeles Chargers punter JK Scott earns a spot on this list for how he allowed San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing to take his punt back 83 yards for the score. Scott had a chance to make a tackle on Cowing near the 49ers’ 45-yard line, but instead of feigning any interest in bringing down San Francisco’s return man, he sidesteps out of the way, almost appearing to hold the door open for him. 

When factoring in Scott will turn 31 years old on Oct. 30 during his ninth NFL season, it’s understandable that he made a business decision in the preseason. However, he could have made it just a smidge less obvious, and in doing so, helped prevent a touchdown on special teams. 

Will Howard

The 2025 New York Jets became the first squad in NFL history to finish a season with zero interceptions in a regular season. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard, the starter for the home team on Friday, acted as New York’s slump buster, tossing not one but two picks the Jets’ away on throws intended for wide receiver Roman Wilson over the middle of the field. Not a great way to stay ahead of third-round rookie Drew Allar on the depth chart. 

Liam Coen

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales gave the NFL world a glimpse of his starters, giving quarterback Bryce Young and his starters two drives on Friday night. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen didn’t meet the moment, keeping quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of his starters in street clothes on the sidelines. Boring.