There are plenty of NFL futures bets to make on DraftKings Sportsbook as the season rapidly approaches.
This is a look at the best bets to win the 2025-26 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Odds to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Before diving into my picks, here is a quick rundown on the recent history of the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winners. Since 2010, eight winners have been quarterbacks, four have been running backs and three have been running backs. No running back has won the award since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Of the most recent five quarterbacks to win the award, two were not supposed to be the Week 1 starter for their team. Both Justin Herbert and Dak Prescott took over early in the season after an injury to their team’s veteran starter. So, while Cam Ward might be the only rookie quarterback to start Week 1, there is precedent for someone like Will Howard or Jaxson Dart to step in for a veteran and win the award.
There is a significant gap in the odds between the top quarterback drafted, Cam Ward, the top running back drafted, Ashton Jeanty, and the rest of the field. Ward and Jeanty are both +350 or better, then the odds drop to +1000 for the next player. I am fading those top two in the market. Ward could be a great NFL quarterback one day, but his odds are only this low because he is likely to be the only quarterback to start from Week 1. However, the Titans don’t have many offensive weapons for Ward to work with and he could face some struggles in his rookie year. Jeanty could be a beast right away, but he is still overvalued. A running back hasn’t won the award since Saquon Barkley and unfortunately, at that position, injuries are far too prevalent.
Travis Hunter (+1000)
Travis Hunter is tied for the third-best odds to win the award. Hunter is one of the most unique rookies in NFL history. He played both wide receiver and defensive back in college, and plans on doing so in the NFL. While he has the third-best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, he also has the second-best odds to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. It is unclear how many snaps Hunter will be playing on both sides of the ball, but it’s hard not to place a bet on him at this number. Brian Thomas Jr. came into the Jacksonville offense and made a massive immediate impact last season, despite Trevor Lawrence getting hurt midway through the season. Paired with Thomas, Travis Hunter should be a dangerous weapon for Lawrence to use this season.
Hunter won the Heisman Trophy last season, partially because he is such a unique player. While that award accounted for his play on both sides of the ball, this award should technically only consider his offensive output. However, the human element of the voters will not be able to ignore what Hunter does on the other side of the ball if he ends up being great playing both ways. Despite this being an offensive award, if Hunter takes the league by storm by playing at a high level on both sides of the ball, voters will want to vote for Hunter, possibly both for the offensive and defensive award. In many other seasons, Brian Thomas Jr. would have won Offensive Rookie of the Year with over 1,200 receiving yards. Unfortunately, he had great wide receivers and quarterbacks in his class. This year is much weaker at both of those positions, and Hunter could emerge as the star of this class right away.
Matthew Golden (+2500)
After 2024’s incredible wide receiver class with Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Ladd McConkey, Xavier Worthy, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze, the 2025 class is not as highly touted. Travis Hunter was the first wide receiver taken, but he is not a traditional wide receiver. It is still unclear how many offensive snaps a game he will be taking. Tetairo McMillan was the first pure wide receiver taken. While he has the potential to be great and Carolina showed signs of improvement, there are a lot of receivers to take targets in Carolina, and Bryce Young has still not proven that he can be a great NFL quarterback. Emeka Egbuka was the third receiver taken, but he will be a clear WR3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, making it tough to get the stats required to win OROY.
The final wide receiver taken in the first round was Matthew Golden. The Packers have taken chances on many young wide receivers over the past few drafts, but none have landed to the level that they had hoped. They are still hoping for one of their young receivers to be the true WR1 that Jordan Love needs. Matthew Golden could finally fill that role in Green Bay. Golden is an elite athlete, running a 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He led Texas in receiving yards during their great 2024-25 season and should be an immediate impact player. He has a great quarterback throwing to him, a top-tier offensive head coach and the chance to seize the WR1 role. All of those ingredients make him a must bet at 25/1.
Colston Loveland (+3000)
Colston Loveland was the first tight end taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. Many thought it would be Tyler Warren, but new Bears head coach Ben Johnson labeled Loveland as the exact player he was looking for. Warren is more of a Travis Kelce-type receiving tight end, while Loveland is more of a George Kittle blocking/receiving hybrid. The Bears have good weapons on the outside between D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, but they need a receiver who can get up the seam and be a target in the middle of the field for Caleb Williams. The Bears are hoping that Caleb Williams can make a big jump from year one to year two under Ben Johnson’s tutelage. If Williams can do that and Johnson can have their offense operating near the level of what the Lions have been doing the past couple of seasons, they should be an explosive unit. Loveland could end up being one of the top pass-catchers in this draft class, making him a great value bet at 30/1 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
