Who's Are the Favorites to Win NFL MVP and Other Top Honors?

You would think forecasting NFL award winners in the middle of a season would be fairly accurate. But this time last season, Jordan Love looked like the run-away favorite for the NFL MVP award. 

A lot can change in the back half of a season, but the midway mark of a campaign is still a good moment to take stock of who we think will lift the hardware for individual honors come season’s end. 

Let’s look at the current favorites for each major award and discuss some dark horses that need to be taken seriously. For all of these awards, we will be using the latest Kalshi markets to determine the current favorites based on the live trades:

MVP: Joe Burrow (33%)

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen was the clubhouse leader for the MVP for most of the season, but that changed after Week 9. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow is now the odds-on favorite to take home the award. 

Burrow leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 23, and the Bengals are 6-2 to start the season. They have a huge primetime matchup this week against the Steelers on Sunday Night Football that could go a long way in securing this award. With a big performance and a win, the Bengals would be a game up in the AFC North and contenders for the No. 1 seed in the conference.

MVP voters love to give the award to QBs on top-ranked teams, so it’s hard to envision Burrow winning this award if the Bengals are just a Wild Card team. 

DPOY: Will Anderson Jr. (35%)

From the moment the market opened back in February, Will Anderson Jr. has been the favorite to take home the DPOY award. An All-Pro selection in 2025, Anderson might be the most well-rounded pass rusher in the NFL. He currently leads the league in sacks (9.5), and he is one of the best run defenders at the position.

The only real knock on Anderson is that the Texans aren’t in the playoff picture right now, and their defense hasn't been good for most of the season. So that does open the door for a few other players like Fred Warner (17%) or T.J. Watt (6%) to potentially steal the award.

If Anderson is able to rack up 14-15 sacks this season and if the Texans can get back to being competitive in the second half of the year, it’s hard to imagine anyone else taking home this award. He’s the NFL’s best defender, and he’s playing at an exceptionally high level right now.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Carnell Tate (20%)

If there is one award where we could see a player rise up and steal a market, it’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. The top contenders entering the year, Jeremiyah Love and Fernando Mendoza, have hardly played this season, and Love is now expected to miss most of the season with a high-ankle injury. Mendoza should get on the field soon, but that hasn't happened, with Kirk Cousins playing well.

Carnell Tate is the current favorite in the OROY market, but that’s mostly because it’s been a disappointing class on offense. But keep an eye on Jonah Coleman (16%), who has impressed in Denver over the last few weeks. If the Broncos win the AFC West and Coleman continues to start at running back, he could be a contender for this award.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Arvell Reese (57%)

Unlike the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, the DPOY Award is loaded with talent. But Arvell Reese's three-sack game has made him a huge favorite in this market coming out of Week 9. A week ago, Reese was the favorite, trading at 22%. But the market has shot up in his favor after one of the most dominant performances we’ve seen this season.

David Bailey (28%) is another strong contender. He leads all rookies in sacks and pressures, but the Jets just aren’t as competitive as the Giants in the New York market. 

Another name to watch here is Jacob Rodriguez (3%) of the Dolphins, who continues to rack up stats every week. He doesn’t have the same national attention as Reese or Bailey, but his counting stats (tackles, stops, interceptions, forced fumbles) may be tough for voters to ignore by the end of the season.

Offensive Player of the Year: Jahmyr Gibbs (33%)

This has been a two-horse race for most of the season, as Jahmyr Gibbs (33%) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (29%) have been the favorites all the way back to February. Kenneth Walker (19%) has remained in the hunt after another two-touchdown week, but it seems inevitable that this will come down to Gibbs or JSN.