Here is a table of players sorted by the best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year as of May 2026.
| Player | Team | Position | Odds (DraftKings) |
| Jeremiyah Love | Arizona Cardinals | RB | +320 |
| Fernando Mendoza | Las Vegas Raiders | QB | +400 |
| Carnell Tate | Tennessee Titans | WR | +550 |
| Jordyn Tyson | New Orleans Saints | WR | +600 |
| Jadarian Price | Seattle Seahawks | RB | +750 |
| Makai Lemon | Philadelphia Eagles | WR | +950 |
| Carson Beck | Arizona Cardinals | QB | +2500 |
| Omar Cooper Jr. | New York Jets | WR | +2500 |
| Kenyon Sadiq | New York Jets | TE | +2500 |
| KC Concepcion | Cleveland Browns | WR | +2800 |
Here are the leading candidates to win the 2026 NFL Rookie of the Year Award, according to odds provided by DraftKings.
The Cardinals used the third overall pick on Love in the 2026 NFL Draft, which gives him the most guaranteed money for any rookie running back in history. Despite veterans Tyler Allgeier and James Conner still holding roster spots, Arizona doesn't make this aggressive pick for a player like Love to sit on the bench and learn.
While opportunity may be the best factor putting Love ahead of a player like Mendoza, you can't deny the skill. Love is one of the most explosive athletes in the class with a 4.36 40 time, and is coming off a season with 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns at Notre Dame. Most importantly, however, is his receiving ability, as he has 63 career college receptions. Think Jahmyr Gibbs, not Ashton Jeanty.
Arizona also made some offensive line improvements that should lead to longer drives and better running lanes for Love. The Cardinals signed free-agent guard Isaac Seumalo in March, drafted projected starting guard Chase Bisontis in the second round and picked up the fifth-year option on Paris Johnson to ensure some consistency. They should grow tremendously from the current 22-ranked spot on RotoWire's NFL Offensive Line Rankings.
Mendoza (+350) was the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, so why isn't he the Rookie of the Year favorite? Opportunity. The Raiders signed 37-year-old veteran Kirk Cousins to a two-year contract in early-April, and he'll likely be starting Week 1, giving Mendoza a chance to learn behind him.
Sportsbooks have floated around a 7.5 games played over/under for Mendoza in his rookie season, and simply put, a half season won't be enough volume to get the stats needed.
Let's not forget the supporting class Mendoza has around him. It's not pretty. Las Vegas ranks dead last in RotoWire's offensive line rankings, so the Raiders likely don't want to throw Mendoza to the wolves and risk injury until the unit starts building some chemistry.
The receiver room isn't much to write home about either. Tight end Brock Bowers essentially functions as WR1, as Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor are the next best receiving options. It's not the best place for a developing quarterback's confidence, let alone one with OROY aspirations.
Tate (+500) finds himself firmly in the race as the first wide receiver off the board in the draft (No. 4 overall) and prospective WR1 for hopeful starting quarterback Cam Ward in 2026. He'll have to hold off veterans Calvin Ridley and Wan'Dale Robinson for targets, however, and the prospective development of Ward could be a roadblock. On a team not programmed to win right now, is Tate a real threat to put up award-winning numbers?
Tate also has below-average speed (4.53 40) for a receiver of his profile, which could limit his big-play ability. He'll have to rely on being a possession receiver over big plays, which are also things Ridley and Robinson excel at.
Tyson (+600) finds himself in a similar situation as Tate above. He's a high draft pick (No. 8 overall), but enters a team with a relatively unestablished QB in Tyler Shough and a clear WR1 in Chris Olave. Will the offense have enough firepower to support an award-winner? Can Tyson get enough targets as a WR2?
Tyson also has a greater injury history than a bettor would typically like to see. He's already had a major knee injury in college, a collarbone break and a lingering hamstring issue. That didn't stop him from putting up elite production at that level, as he closed his career with 75/1,101/10 and 61/711/8 seasons in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Price (+750), a fellow Notre Dame product, is the perfect dark-horse candidate for Rookie of the Year because unlike the names above, he'll be playing for not just a GOOD team, but the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. He gets to run behind an above-average offensive line and has an immediate path to carries.
That path was paved due to the departure of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, leaving Seattle in need of a power runner that Price profiles as. On top of that, incumbent Zach Charbonnet is coming off a torn ACL and may be limited to start the season.
Lemon (+950) was a receiver the Eagles were clearly high on, as Philly traded up in the draft to select the USC product No. 20 overall. Here's the wildcard – despite the heavy rumors the Eagles would trade A.J. Brown, that has yet to happen. If Lemon enters the 2026 season behind Brown and Devonta Smith on the depth chart, he'll have a tough path to targets. Saquon Barkley is still a huge part of this offense – one that had the sixth-highest rushing play percentage in the NFL last year. A bet on Lemon at (+950) is a bet that Brown gets traded sooner, rather than later.
Beck (+1500) was the third quarterback taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, selected in the 3rd Round (65th) overall via Arizona. So why does he have better odds than first-rounder Ty Simpson? Simpson will certainly be behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford on the depth chart all year, while Beck just has to get past Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew – two QBs who have had careers that have been inconsistent, at best. Should Beck find his way to volume starts, he'd run an offense led by third overall pick Jeremiyah Love, as well as established pass-catchers Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson.
Cooper (+1800) enters a Jets offense led by Geno Smith, with established talent such as Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall to help share the load. Neither of those two options have been a staple of health, however, but his path to targets is still rough. Cooper has NFL-ready speed (4.42 40) and positional versatility, playing out of the slot and functioning as a big-play guy as top pick Fernando Mendoza's primary weapon at Indiana. The number here just might be long enough to find some value, potentially representing the only acceptable way to bet on the Jets in 2026.
With each notable milestone that passes (camp, preseason, regular season), we'll update our predictions to win the NFL OROY. During the season, this section will largely ignore the odds and just highlight who I think is most likely to win. Here's my latest NFL OROY prediction for the 2026 season.
Recent trends point away from running backs, and I'm betting that continues in 2026. Get Mendoza at (+350) now before that price dwindles and your opportunity to get a share of this futures bet becomes far more expensive.
Kirk Cousins is entering his age-37 season. He already lost a starting job to a rookie, Michael Penix, in Atlanta. Through 10 games in 2025, Cousins posted his lowest YPA (6.4) since 2013. His QBR has been below 48.0 in back-to-back seasons. The writing is on the wall – Cousins' days of being an effective starter in the NFL are over.
While new head coach Klint Kubiak won't be pressured to win right away, and does have some loyalty to Cousins from his time in Minnesota, it won't be long before he starts hearing calls for Mendoza. Will Cousins survive an 0-4, 0-5 start? Look for the pressure to mount, at which point Kubiak's hand will be forced.
Mendoza has the winning mentality as a reigning NCAA National Champion. He's accurate and can make every throw at the NFL level. He's smart with the football – a 41/6 TD/INT ratio against Big Ten-caliber competition doesn't lie. There should be a strong running game behind him with Ashton Jeanty, and the cliche tight end "security blanket" in Brock Bowers.
Place your bets for Mendoza now. If you wait until he wins the job – either in camp or the regular season – this price will vaporize before your eyes.