2026 NFL Futures Player Awards: Expert Picks & Best Bets
NFL player awards markets are always among the most intriguing futures bets before the season begins, giving bettors a chance to target value on MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and more. With the 2026 NFL season approaching, we asked our analysts to share their favorite player awards futures bets. Here are their top expert picks, along with the reasoning behind each bet. Check out our Featured Pros’ top 2026 NFL futures player awards picks and predictions.
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Best 2026 NFL Futures Player Awards Picks & Predictions
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What is your favorite NFL Futures Player Awards bet for the 2026 NFL season?
Myles Garrett: Defensive Player of the Year
“AP NFL Defensive Player Of The Year 2026-27 Myles Garrett +430 Getting more than 4-1 on Myles Garret coming off a season where he broke the sack record is a future bet that’s hard to pass on this season. Garrett will finally be playing in meaningful games with the Rams. Not to be lost in this shuffle is that he’ll also be playing in better weather situations in the NFC West, including a controlled home environment. Getting a clean jump where every second counts could mean he breaks his own record for sacks in 2026. Ironically, Myles Garrett has recorded 0 sacks indoors during his regular-season NFL career. However, he’s only played 8 indoor games out of his 128 total career regular-season appearances. I don’t think that streak will last long in the LA indoor-outdoor hybrid environment.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Tucker Kraft: Comeback Player of the Year
“Tucker Kraft to win Comeback Player of the Year in 2026 at +2800 odds is a nice little dart throw. Kraft was awesome before his ACL injury in Week 9, totaling six touchdown catches in his first seven games in 2025. Kraft now comes back to a Packers offense that just has so many significant questions that need to be answered. Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, two weapons for Jordan Love a year ago, are no longer in Green Bay. Josh Jacobs and his pending legal situation- what does that look like, and will he be involved? Kraft’s return can provide stability to the offense, and if he can become Love’s alpha in 2026, he could be in line to bring home some individual hardware.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Carnell Tate: Offensive Rookie of the Year
“Carnell Tate left Ohio State Buckeyes football with a 2025 line of 51-875-9 (17.2 YPR) that ranked top-10 nationally in yards-per-route and contested-catch win rate. Drafted fourth overall by the Tennessee Titans, the 6-3, 195-pound WR walks into Brian Daboll's matchup-driven spread attack as the starting X WR. Second-year quarterback Cam Ward supplies the big arm and second-reaction creativity to feed Tate's vertical and back-shoulder strengths. With a projected WR-1 snap share and a scheme designed to manufacture touches, Tate has a realistic path to about 80 catches and 1,200 yards as a rookie, numbers that would put him squarely in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation where he currently sits +700 to win (improved from opening line of +750 and most books are already sitting at +600).”
– Avery Thrasher (The Branded Sports)
Josh Allen/Lamar Jackson/Baker Mayfield/Kyler Murray: NFL MVP
“The last thirteen seasons, the NFL Regular Season MVP has gone to a QB. Both Josh Allen (+809) and Lamar Jackson (+900) are former winners. Baker Mayfield (+5500) and Kyler Murray (+6500) are longshots, but the price is right. There are only 32 starting QBs in the league, and you’re getting (55-1) and (65-1) on them, respectively, so I’d call with those odds. Baker was hurt last year; however, he’s healthy now. Remember, in 2024, he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 TDs, albeit with some going to his former all-pro teammate, WR Mike Evans. As for Kyler, I think he’ll win the starting gig over J.J. McCarthy. Murray joins arguably the most talented team he’s ever been on, and like Josh and Lamar, he gains valuable yards with his legs. I’d probably sprinkle two or three units each on both Josh and Lamar, and one each on Baker and Kyler just for fun.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
T.J. Watt: Defensive Player of the Year
“T.J. Watt for Defensive Player of the Year (+1800). Watt won this award in 2021 and has finished in the top four in DPOY voting in five of the past seven years. Watt has put up some gaudy single-season sack totals — 22.5 in 2021 (15 games), 19 in 2023, 15 in 2020 (15 games). If the 31-year-old Watt can stay healthy and flirt with 20 sacks, he’ll have a reasonable chance to take home this award. He seems like a value at this price.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Fernando Mendoza: Offensive Rookie of the Year
“Fernando Mendoza to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+400). I can’t believe that the No. 1 overall pick isn’t the current favorite to win this award. Simply put, you're betting on an uphill battle going away from a rookie QB for a positional player in this market more times than not. The last four QB ROY winners – Justin Herbert, Kyler Murray, C.J. Stroud, and Jayden Daniels – combined for a 32-30-1 record (51%). The bar to clear for these rookie signal callers just isn’t that high from a W-L or statistical standpoint. Mendoza is a great fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense and will start sooner than he is being given credit for. The consensus is completely overvaluing Kirk Cousins’ potential to open as the Week 1 starter, when there’s a chance that he is just completely cooked. He will be 38 years old this season. His 6.4 YPA and 84.8 passer rating were the second-lowest of his career last season (same with aDOT). He doesn't have the same power in his throws since his Achilles injury. 29th in EPA/play, 26th in success rate, 28th in completion rate, 32nd in YPA. Aside from completion rate (because Michael Penix Jr. pushed the ball downfield), Cousins was the second-best QB in Atlanta last year. Just a matter of time until Mendoza takes over as QB1, and his odds will shift dramatically.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Jahmyr Gibbs: Offensive Player of the Year
“Jahmyr Gibbs OPOY +850. History suggests OPOY is more likely to come from elite running backs or wide receivers. With Jahmyr Gibbs, you have a perfect combination of talent, opportunity, and situation. Gibbs has already established himself as one of the NFL’s most dangerous dual-threat weapons, totaling nearly 1,900 scrimmage yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025 despite sharing significant work with David Montgomery. With Montgomery now in Houston and head coach Dan Campbell eager to give Gibbs a larger workload, he will be fully unleashed in Detroit. The Lions still possess one of the league’s most explosive offensive units, giving Gibbs a realistic path to 2,000-plus scrimmage yards and 20-plus touchdowns. If he reaches those benchmarks while serving as the engine of a Super Bowl contender, +850 could look like a bargain by season’s end.”
– Tyler Conium (FantasyPros)