NFL Awards Week 1 Players to Watch: Valentine Votes for Allen in Early MVP Forecast

We’re now on the eve of the 2026 NFL season, which means preseason predictions for individual awards start to really ramp up.

The playing field in the NFL feels as stacked as ever, with a plethora of talent across all positions in the league competing for the top honors. Josh Allen enters the season as the MVP favorite after winning the award in 2024, but some dark horses can quickly emerge with strong starts to the year.

The other six award races also feature some prominent storylines that will satiate the narrative-driven bettor, from a hotly contested Offensive Player of the Year race to the Defensive Rookie of the Year award that could go in so many directions. The NFL is back.

NFL MVP – Week 1 Players to Watch

• Lineups NFL Week 1 MVP Rankings
• MVP Futures Betting Market, Odds

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Lineups Rank: 4/50

The Bills’ franchise quarterback won the NFL’s MVP Award back in 2024 for the first time after years of knocking at the door, and enters the 2026 season as the favorite for the award once again. The offense has been a top-five unit for most of the last half-decade with Allen at the helm, and the feeling is that it’ll remain the case once again. Adding D.J. Moore gives Allen a real weapon at receiver, and the best talent he’s had since Stefon Diggs was in Buffalo. Their connection will be vital to the Bills’ playoff push, but Allen will be in the conversation regardless. He’s a one-of-one talent.

2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Lineups Rank: 7/50

Drake Maye was the NFL’s breakout star in 2025. The former third overall pick had an exceptional season as the Patriots won 14 regular-season games and made it to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018. Maye threw for 4394 yards and 31 touchdowns and led the league in completion percentage as he finished second in MVP voting behind Matthew Stafford. The Patriots’ offense should be better with an improved offensive line and receiving corps that includes A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. There’ll be doubts as to whether Maye and the Patriots can replicate their 2025 success, but Maye is the real deal.

3. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (+1200)

Lineups Rank: 8/50

Dak Prescott enters his 11th season as the Dallas Cowboys’ starting quarterback, and the hype might never be higher. The Cowboys’ offense was electric in 2025, finishing the season fifth in EPA per play, per Sümer Sports, but largely flew under the radar because of their abysmal defense. This year, the defense should be better, and the offense might be even better. If that’s the case, Prescott—who has total command of this Cowboys’ unit, à la Peyton Manning—could be in for a career year and some major MVP buzz. Dak Prescott is one of the NFL’s last few generals at quarterback.

NFL Offensive Player of the Year – Week 1 Players to Watch

• Lineups NFL Week 1 OPOY Rankings
• OPOY Futures Betting Market, Odds

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Lineups Rank: 4/50

With David Montgomery now in Houston and Isiah Pacheco starting the season on IR, Jahmyr Gibbs doesn’t have a running mate akin to past seasons in the Lions’ backfield this season. Gibbs has already asserted himself as one of the league’s best offensive weapons, and his importance to the Lions and the offense can’t go unnoticed. His workload in 2026 could reach stratospheric levels on a consistently effective offense. The more Gibbs sees the ball, the better the results. His total EPA was fifth among running backs in the NFL in 2025, and he’ll enter the 2026 season on a mission to win his first-ever Offensive Player of the Year award. 

2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Lineups Rank: 3/10

Ja’Marr Chase is five seasons into his NFL career and has already racked up 520 catches, 6837 yards, and 54 touchdowns. Miraculously, Chase has never won Offensive Player of the Year, even after a triple-crown effort in 2024. Could that finally change in 2026? The Bengals’ offense will be a high-scoring unit led by Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Chase Brown, and Chase. But it will be Burrow and Chase’s connection that’ll lead the offense forward. If they’re clicking on every level and Chase is putting up similar numbers to his previous seasons, and the Bengals have regular-season success, he could finally take home the award that has somehow eluded him.

3. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Lineups Rank: 5/10

There isn’t a better receiver in the NFL right now than Puka Nacua. The former fifth-round pick has gone from strength to strength in his three seasons in the NFL, and caught a league-high 129 passes for 1715 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025. Nacua is big, faster, and one of the best contested-catch guys in the league, a true vacuum for the football. Nacua also has the benefit of one of the league’s best playcallers and the reigning MVP, Matt Stafford. He’s the fulcrum of the Rams’ passing game and will likely chase career-highs in 2026, and with that, the Offensive Player of the Year Award—an award he narrowly missed out on in 2025.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year – Week 1 Players to Watch

• Lineups NFL Week 1 DPOY Rankings
• DPOY Futures Betting Market, Odds

1. Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams

Lineups Rank: 1/50

What is there left to say about Myles Garrett? The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is the best player on the planet right now, and there’s a case to be made that he’s one of the greatest players of all-time. Garrett had an NFL-record 23 sacks in 2025 with the Cleveland Browns, but now plays for the Rams in Los Angeles, where he’ll not only be the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, but also the Super Bowl. The Rams are a bona fide super team with Garrett and now Aaron Donald. Having an interior wrecker like Donald alongside Garrett will take away triple and double teams on occasion, giving him more chances to ruin opposing quarterbacks’ days.

2. Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans

Lineups Rank: 2/50

Will Anderson’s star continues to grow. The former number three overall pick has gone from Defensive Rookie of the Year to All-Pro in just three seasons, and is already considered one of the best defenders in the NFL. Anderson had a career-high 12 sacks on one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2025, and will likely surpass that total this season. Great against the run, excellent at pressuring opposing quarterbacks, Anderson has it all and is still only 25 years old. He faces stiff competition, but his star is growing.

3. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions

Lineups Rank: 6/10

It finally feels like Aidan Hutchinson is reaching his potential. After two strong first seasons in the NFL, his third season was cut short too early after 7.5 sacks in five games. Hutchinson bounced back in year four, registering 14.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss en route to his first-ever Second Team All-Pro selection. He’s the star power on a Lions’ defense that lacks certainty. He is the certainty. An incredible force of nature, Hutchinson is someone NFL quarterbacks will be fearing all season long.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year – Week 1 Players to Watch

• Lineups NFL Week 1 OROY Rankings
• OROY Futures Betting Market, Odds

1. Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals

Lineups Rank: 1/50

The Cardinals took a swing for the fences by drafting Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The former Notre Dame running back has been touted as a generational talent. A game-breaking back with speed, power, and contact balance, Love is going to be a major part of the Cardinals’ offense for years to come and will get a heavy workload in his rookie season. With an underrated offensive line creating holes, Love will have plenty of opportunities to rack up rushing and receiving yards in 2026, and enters the season, rightfully, as the clubhouse leader for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

2. Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans

Lineups Rank: 4/50

Any worries about Carnell Tate’s preseason performances are severely misguided. The fourth overall pick failed to haul in a single pass in the preseason, but that shouldn’t cause too much concern. Tate is an extremely talented receiver with all of the tools and skill set to succeed in the NFL. Once the games start to matter, and the Titans’ playbook opens up, we’ll hopefully see a connection between Tate and Cam Ward. If that happens, then we’ll see the best of the former Ohio State wideout.

3. De’Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers

Lineups Rank: 8/50

The 49ers caused a stir when the team selected Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Stribling is a big receiver at 6-foot-2 and 207lbs and has been making waves in the preseason. The 49ers have experienced some major injury concerns this offseason, losing receivers Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk to IR, which should give Stribling plenty of field time to contribute for one of the league’s best offenses. He could make a sizable impact in his rookie season.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year – Week 1 Players to Watch

• Lineups NFL Week 1 DROY Rankings
• DROY Futures Betting Market, Odds

1. Rueben Bain Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lineups Rank: 1/50

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers landed one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft, picking former Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th overall pick. Bain likely fell out of the top ten due to his arm length and size, but might be the best defensive player in the draft. He also joins a defensive playcaller, Todd Bowles, who’ll know how to properly utilise Bain’s talents. Expect to see him in opposing backfields on a weekly basis.

2. David Bailey, New York Jets

Lineups Rank: 4/50

David Bailey is a physical freak, and someone the Jets will hope can turn around their recent misfortunes as the second overall pick in the draft. The former Texas Tech pass rusher had a nation-leading 14.5 sacks in 2025 and now looks to wreck NFL offenses. The Jets’ defense has some intriguing pieces, but no one flashes more than Bailey. He’s naturally one of the early favorites for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

3. Caleb Downs, Dallas Cowboys

Lineups Rank: 5/50

Caleb Downs has the opportunity to be the face of a changing Cowboys’ defense. The defense finished the 2025 season dead last in EPA per play but has undergone a major revitalisation in the offseason. Downs, the 11th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, is a smart defensive back with incredible upside. He can impact the game as a deep half safety, a box safety, or a nickel, and that optionality will see him be around the football on most plays. If he can kickstart the Cowboys’ defensive resurgence, he’ll be in the mix.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year – Week 1 Players to Watch

• Lineups NFL Week 1 Comeback Player Rankings
• Comeback Player Futures Betting Market, Odds

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Lineups Rank: 1/35

After tearing his ACL in Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season, Patrick Mahomes enters this season as one of the most obvious Comeback Player of the Year contenders in NFL history. The Chiefs were a shell of themselves in 2025, even with Mahomes on the field, but they’ll be looking to bounce straight back into the postseason with Mahomes starting in Week 1. Despite a few years of tough play around him, Mahomes is still one of the league’s two or three best quarterbacks. He’ll be looking to remind the world of that.

2. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Lineups Rank: 2/35

Jayden Daniels was left battered and bruised in 2025 after, arguably, the greatest rookie quarterback season of all time in 2024. Daniels missed 10 games last season with a string of injuries breaking up chunks of his season. Even when he was on the field, he didn’t look like the same guy that took the league by storm a season prior. The Commanders’ offensive line doesn’t look in great shape in 2026, but Daniels is too talented to not bounce back from a major sophomore slump. 

3. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

Lineups Rank: 11/35

Offseason speculation about Aaron Donald was rife, but finally one of the greatest NFL players of all time is back. Donald joins a Rams’ super team looking to win their second Super Bowl since 2020, and there isn’t a team in the NFL better positioned to contend in 2026. Donald’s role is yet to be seen, but even if he’s 70% of the player we saw in 2023, he’ll be a major game-changer and a shoo-in for Comeback Player of the Year contention.

NFL Coach of the Year – Week 1 Coaches to Watch

• Lineups NFL Week 1 Coach of the Year Rankings
• Coach of the Year Futures Betting Market, Odds

1. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears (+1200)

Lineups Rank: 1/32

The Chicago Bears finished 11-6 in 2025, winning the NFC North for the first time since 2018—in Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach, no less. His success was only dwarfed by Mike Vrabel, who won 14 games in his first year with the Patriots. Johnson’s Bears will be gunning for the NFC North and more playoff success in 2026, and the offense has a chance to be one of the best in the NFL. The former Lions’ offensive coordinator is a genius playcaller and designer, and the sky feels like the limit in Chicago.

2. Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens (+1000)

Lineups Rank: 2/32

Jesse Minter has the tough task of replacing John Harbaugh as the new head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, but the former Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator is well-positioned for success in year one. Minter is one of the league’s hottest defensive play-callers, and steps into a team with a bona fide superstar quarterback under center and a talented defense. Bouncing back from a lost season in 2025 is key for the Ravens, and if they can do that—and challenge for a Super Bowl—Minter could be in line for Coach of the Year.

3. Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys (+1300)

Lineups Rank: 14/32

Brian Schottenheimer is in an enviable position. The coach of the Dallas Cowboys has a big job on his hands, as any coach working under Jerry Jones would, but there’s a lot to like in Dallas. The offense is electric—one of the best in the league—with Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and an always-strong offensive line at the center. If the defense can be near league-average, and there’s every reason to believe they’re on the way up after a busy offseason, then the Cowboys could find their way back into the playoffs and challenge for the NFC East. 

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