NFL

NFL Defensive Player of the Year Predictions & Best Bets

UpdatedAug 7, 2026

Reading time4 min

With the Patriots and Seahawks set for a Wednesday night kickoff on September 9, the 2026 NFL regular season is almost upon us. The marathon battle for the Lombardi Trophy will get underway before we know it, and our experts have you covered with NFL Futures content to get you ready for the upcoming campaign. As well as projecting which teams are going to have success this fall, we can also make our NFL predictions for who will win the individual awards.

With most of the offseason moves in the rearview mirror, it’s time to discuss our favorite bets for the Defensive Player of the Year award. This is a market with a few short favorites, before things really open up down the board, which makes looking into a longshot an attractive option. Who will be the NFL DPOY in 2026? Let’s take a look at the NFL odds for Defensive Player of the Year and the NFL best bets to make before the season gets underway.

Find out our expert NFL futures picks for EVERY MAJOR MARKET, including Super Bowl winner, MVP, every player award and every division winner!

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2026 NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and available at time of publishing.

Myles Garrett (+450)
Will Anderson Jr. (+750)
Aidan Hutchinson (+850)
Maxx Crosby (+900)
Nick Bosa (+1300)
Nik Bonitto (+1500)
T.J. Watt (+1800)
Brian Burns (+2000)
Jared Verse (+2200)
Trey Hendrickson (+2500)

A year ago, the Defensive Player of the Year award went to Myles Garrett following a season in which he finished with a record-setting 23 sacks. The year before, the award went to Pat Surtain II. With that in mind, there are plenty of options that you can select in this market from various angles on the odds board. Most of the players that I looked long and hard at were in the 50-1 range or shorter, and almost any of them are worthy of a look in this market. However, there are a few key standouts that have grabbed my attention. Let's get into my best bet and a longshot prediction for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

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NFL Defensive Player of the Year best bet: Will Anderson Jr., DE, HOU (+750)

When it comes to the names at the top of the odds board, it's hard to ignore just how dominant Will Anderson Jr. has been in recent years. The defensive end racked up 12 sacks and 54 total tackles a season ago, and that followed a campaign in which he finished with 37 tackles and 11 sacks. He's certainly been a consistent force of late, and that should continue into 2026, especially since Anderson is at the helm of the best defense in the sport.

The Texans are going to lean on their defense once again, and if Houston is able to win double-digit games and capture the AFC South crown, it will likely be due to Anderson's prowess at getting after the quarterback while leading this elite defense to another special season. I'll take a shot with Anderson at this price.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year longshot pick: Abdul Carter, OL, NYG (+4500)

This is a longshot for a reason, but there is a path for Abdul Carter making a massive leap in his 2nd season as a professional. This award has recently been defined by players that can create havoc in the backfield by picking up sacks, tackles for loss and creating turnovers, and that fits into Carter's natural skillset as a player.

While his numbers weren't the most impressive (43 tackles, 4 sacks), there is a blueprint for the former Penn State product to double that sack total in his sophomore season. Carter should be on the field for considerably more snaps as part of an improved Giants defense, and if he ends up thriving in a full-time role, he could instantly become one of the best defensive players in the sport.