NFL Futures: Best MVP, OPOY, DPOY, and Rookie of the Year Bets for 2026 (Ep. 2059)

June 19, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

"Last year Matthew Stafford won the NFL MVP at 35-to-1. He became the 13th straight quarterback to win the award." That fact opens a conversation about how to find value in the 2026 NFL awards markets before the season starts. The Betting Pros podcast, hosted by Seth Wilcock with expert Andrew Erickson, walks through the MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year markets, identifying where the odds are mispriced and which narratives are likely to drive voter behavior.

The MVP Market: Quarterback Age and Narrative

The MVP award has become a quarterback-only award, and the key insight from the episode is that the average age of MVP-winning quarterbacks is 27-28 years old. This primes the market for players entering their prime. Andrew Erickson's top bets among the favorites are Joe Burrow at 10-to-1 and Justin Herbert at 11-to-1. For Burrow, the argument rests on health: in his three fully healthy seasons, he has averaged over 10.5 wins. The Bengals have the third-easiest schedule, an improved defense, and three new head coaches in the AFC North, giving Cincinnati a continuity edge. For Herbert, the case is that he was a one-man show last year, playing through a broken hand with no offensive tackles, yet still won 11 games. With Mike McDaniel's offense, a healthy line, and a soft early schedule (Cardinals and Raiders in Weeks 1-2

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What you'll learn

1 (00:42) **Show Introduction & Market Overview** - Host Seth Wilcock and guest Andrew Erickson introduce the episode's focus on NFL futures for MVP, OPOY, DPOY, and Rookie of the Year.
2 (02:35) **MVP Market: Favorites Analysis** - Erickson identifies Joe Burrow (10-1) and Justin Herbert (11-1) as the best values among the favorites.
3 (10:04) **MVP Market: Long Shot Value** - Erickson picks Trevor Lawrence (24-1) as the best long-shot MVP value.
4 (14:39) **Offensive Player of the Year: Best Bet** - Erickson's top pick is Ja'Marr Chase (12-1), betting on him to lead the NFL in receiving yards.
5 (17:48) **OPOY: Long Shot Value** - Erickson highlights Brock Bowers (80-1) as a high-value long shot due to his unique role and expected volume.
6 (24:28) **Defensive Player of the Year: Best Bet** - Erickson and Wilcock agree Miles Garrett (+450) is the clear favorite to repeat, given his upgraded situation with the Rams.
7 (30:06) **DPOY: Long Shot Value** - Erickson suggests Aiden Hutchinson (12-1) as a contender and Josh Hines-Allen (60-1) as a high-value long shot.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Andrew Erickson

Show Notes

Join Seth Woolcock and Andrew Erickson as they highlight the best futures bets you can make ahead of the 2026 NFL season!

Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)

Intro - 0:00:00

MVP - 0:02:03

Offensive Player of the Year - 0:14:05

BettingPros App - 0:21:41

Defensive Player of the Year - 0:22:14

Offensive Rookie of the Year - 0:31:28

Hard Rock Bet - 0:40:41

Defensive Rookie of the Year - 0:43:01

Erickson’s Top 4 Bets - 0:51:53

Outro - 0:53:48

Helpful Links:

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