Jimmy Boyd in A draft slot buys a rookie his first price, nothing else this early. Cameron Boozer currently tops the NBA Rookie of the Year board at +325 from Caesars, with Caleb Wilson and Darryn Peterson priced close behind at +350 and +350. That bunching near the front says the depth chart hasn’t sorted itself out yet, no matter how clean the draft rankings looked on paper.
35 players carry a live number across 5 sportsbooks, last updated October 8, 2026, and the gaps between those books say more about projected roster spots than raw talent. A rookie class prices fast and then sits still for months while rosters and rotations get worked out on the floor. That gap between the opening number and the eventual role is where this market gets interesting.
2026-27 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds
| # | Player | Best price | Book | Implied | 7 days | Since start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron BoozerF · Grizzlies | +325 | Caesars | 23.5% | even | even |
| 2 | Caleb WilsonF · Bulls | +350 | bet365 | 22.2% | +2% | +2% |
| 3 | Darryn PetersonG · Jazz | +350 | BetMGM | 22.2% | even | even |
| 4 | AJ DybantsaF · Wizards | +410 | FanDuel | 19.6% | even | even |
| 5 | Darius AcuffG · Kings | +1200 | bet365 | 7.7% | -17% | -17% |
| 6 | Yaxel LendeborgF · Warriors | +1600 | BetMGM | 5.9% | even | even |
| 7 | Mikel BrownG · Nets | +2500 | Caesars | 3.8% | +13% | +13% |
| 8 | Keaton WaglerG · Clippers | +4000 | bet365 | 2.4% | even | even |
| 9 | Cameron CarrG · Lakers | +10000 | bet365 | 1.0% | even | even |
| 10 | Morez JohnsonF · Mavericks | +10000 | bet365 | 1.0% | even | even |
| 11 | Kingston FlemingsG · Hawks | +10000 | bet365 | 1.0% | even | even |
| 12 | Brayden BurriesG · Bucks | +10000 | DraftKings | 1.0% | +7% | +7% |
Show all 35 playersShow fewer
| 13 | Christian AndersonG · Hornets | +15000 | DraftKings | 0.7% | even | even |
| 14 | Hannes SteinbachF · Hornets | +20000 | Caesars | 0.5% | even | even |
| 15 | Ebuka OkorieG · Pistons | +20000 | bet365 | 0.5% | even | even |
| 16 | Dailyn SwainG · Bulls | +20000 | FanDuel | 0.5% | even | even |
| 17 | Nate AmentF · Bucks | +25000 | FanDuel | 0.4% | even | even |
| 18 | Labaron PhilonG · 76ers | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 19 | Karim LopezF · Grizzlies | +25000 | BetMGM | 0.4% | even | even |
| 20 | Allen GravesF · Raptors | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 21 | Aday MaraC · Thunder | +25000 | BetMGM | 0.4% | -70% | -70% |
| 22 | Thomas SorberC · Thunder | +25000 | DraftKings | 0.4% | – | – |
| 23 | Bennett StirtzG · Thunder | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 24 | Joshua JeffersonF · Nets | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 25 | Koa PeatF · Suns | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 26 | Jayden QuaintanceF · Spurs | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 27 | Tarris ReedC · Spurs | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 28 | Meleek ThomasG · Cavaliers | +25000 | DraftKings | 0.4% | – | – |
| 29 | Chris CenacF · Celtics | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 30 | Sergio De LarreaF · Mavericks | +25000 | DraftKings | 0.4% | even | even |
| 31 | Zuby EjioforF · Hawks | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| 32 | Alex KarabanF · Kings | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | even | even |
| Only one book still prices these | ||||||
| 33 | Ryan ConwellG · Heat | +10000 | bet365 | 1.0% | – | – |
| 34 | Baba MillerF · Clippers | +15000 | bet365 | 0.7% | – | – |
| 35 | Isaiah EvansF · Timberwolves | +25000 | bet365 | 0.4% | – | – |
Best price is the longest number we found across bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel. Implied probability strips nothing out; the whole board adds to more than 100% and that gap is the books’ margin. Movement is the change in what a winning dollar pays, so a move means the same thing at the top of the board and at the bottom; green means the price shortened. It reads across the books quoting a player both then and now, and a row too thinly quoted to compare shows a dash rather than a number. Since start runs from the first day we have every book’s price, which is not the market’s opening line.
Draft Slot Gets You In, Playing Time Gets You Paid
This award goes to the rookie who plays, not just the one who was picked highest. Minutes and usage on a bad team decide it more than talent evaluations do. The draft slot sets the opening price, but the depth chart decides the winner, and those two things don’t always agree once the season actually starts.
Before backing a top name, find out where he lands on the depth chart. A rebuilding team that hands its top pick heavy minutes right away is worth more to this bet than a more talented player stuck behind veterans on a crowded roster. Usage is the whole game here, and it’s knowable before a single possession is played.
Alex Karaban sitting at +25000 isn’t priced on talent alone, it’s priced on an unproven role. That’s exactly where this market can be wrong in your favor if the roster spot is better than the price suggests.
One Name or a Small Stack of Rookies
Money on this market sits dead for a full season before it settles, so how you size the bet matters. A single ticket on one name ties your whole position to one storyline: his health, his role, his team’s willingness to play him big minutes.
Spreading a stake across three or four names near the top, or pairing a favorite with a longshot, changes the math. Smaller stakes per ticket, more paths to cash, and less exposure to one rookie’s role getting cut short.
Shop every name across bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel before locking in a price. 5 books rarely agree on a rookie market this early, and the gap on a single player can run several points. Darius Acuff has shortened from a prior number to +1200, and swings like that are usually the clearest sign a role is getting locked in for real.
The Window Before Roles Are Set, and What Comes After
The best price on this board shows up before games are played, back when the number is built on potential and depth chart guesses. That’s when a well-scouted landing spot is worth the most, because the price hasn’t caught up to the role yet.
Once games start and rotations settle, the value dries up fast on anyone whose role gets confirmed as real. The market adjusts quickly once a rookie proves he’s playing heavy minutes on a team with nothing else to play for.
A position taken early sets up a hedge later. If the role holds and the price shortens, there’s room to lock in profit against the field or let it ride once the depth chart question has been answered for good.
