Reigning champion Patrick Meagher had the first pick in the 2026 VSiN NFL Futures Draft, which included a trio of newcomers for this season. Last year’s inaugural draft was a Top 100 Futures Board from our VSiN hosts, but we added some expertise in the form of The Fantasy Guru, a former NFL player and 10,000-yard receiver, and one of the executive producers of Bookie, which had two seasons on HBO starring comedian Sebastian Maniscalco.
John Hansen, Keyshawn Johnson, and Nick Bakay joined Meagher, Stormy Buonantony, Pauly Howard, Gill Alexander, Jensen Lewis, Jonathan Von Tobel, Dave Ross, Matt Youmans, Mitch Moss, and Tim Murray as part of a special edition of Follow The Money to fight it out for bragging rights across 130 NFL futures selections.
The contestants had to pick two options from each of five categories – Win Total Over, Win Total Under, Division Winner, Player Prop, and Season Stat Leader. Last season, it was Meagher’s pick of Jonathan Taylor as Rushing TD Leader at 13/1 that cemented the victory for him, while Youmans came in second, going 6-4 on his selections, including two nice division cashes with the Broncos at +275 and the Patriots at +500.
This year’s draft was full of twists and turns, some surprising picks, some steals, and a whole lot of ways for the VSiN audience to follow along with their favorite personality or lock in some of these picks as their own.
All odds were from DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of the VSiN NFL Futures Draft on August 20.
Here are the picks for each contestant:
Patrick Meagher
| MEAGHER | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | TEXANS OVER 9.5 WINS (-146) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 2 | COMMANDERS WIN NFC EAST (+500) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | JOSH ALLEN MOST RUSHING TDS (10/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 4 | JAHMYR GIBBS OVER 4.5 RECEIVING TDS (+110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 5 | PATRIOTS UNDER 10.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 6 | PANTHERS WIN NFC SOUTH (+300) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 7 | CEEDEE LAMB RECEPTIONS LEADER (15/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 8 | BUCCANEERS UNDER 8.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 9 | COMMANDERS OVER 7.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 10 | MICHAEL PITTMAN OVER 70.5 RECEPTIONS (-115) | PLAYER PROP |
Just like last season, we ran a snake draft style format, so Patrick had the first pick and didn’t get to pick again until the 26th pick. It was quite a wait for our reigning champion, who has a little bit of Commanders exposure there in the NFC East. Washington isn’t the only correlated outcome, as the Buccaneers Under their win total paired with the Panthers to win the NFC South is tied together in some ways.
Stormy Buonantony
| STORMY | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | DAK PRESCOTT PASSING YARDS LEADER (+850) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 2 | BENGALS OVER 10.5 WINS (-115) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 3 | JAGUARS WIN AFC SOUTH (+245) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 4 | JUSTIN JEFFERSON OVER 1149.5 RECEIVING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 5 | BROWNS UNDER 5.5 WINS (+115) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 6 | JOSH ALLEN OVER 3624.5 PASSING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 7 | BUCCANEERS NFC SOUTH (+170) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 8 | DERRICK HENRY RUSHING TDS LEADER (+550) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 9 | CHIEFS UNDER 10.5 WINS (-140) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 10 | EAGLES OVER 10.5 WINS (+115) | WIN TOTAL OV |
Shame on Stormy for taking my Browns Under their season win total, but I guess I can’t blame her for looking at the plus-money price on Cleveland’s potential ineptitude. This is a pretty conservative portfolio relative to some of the other long shots that we saw for some division winners and stat leaders, but that strategy could work out well. On the plus side, after pulling a Dave Ross last season and taking her favorite team (49ers) to win the division with her first pick, Stormy went a completely different direction this time around.
Pauly Howard
| PAULY | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | RAMS WIN NFC WEST (-105) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 2 | BEARS UNDER 9.5 WINS (-120) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 3 | JAHMYR GIBBS RUSHING TDS LEADER (+550) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 4 | CHARGERS OVER 9.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 5 | TREY MCBRIDE OVER 999.5 RECEIVING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 6 | BILLS WIN AFC EAST (-130) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 7 | GIANTS UNDER 7.5 WINS (-130) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 8 | BUCCANEERS OVER 8.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 9 | TREY MCBRIDE RECEPTIONS LEADER (+850) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 10 | JAXSON DART UNDER 449.5 RUSHING YARDS (-115) | PLAYER PROP |
A lot of minus prices on the list here for Pauly, who also has a pretty conservative portfolio. The Trey McBride pick in the ninth round could end up being a huge difference maker, as the Cardinals are going to trail a lot this season and that +850 price could loom large in the final standings if it gets there. Two odds-on division favorites also bucks a trend that we normally see here with a little more gamble, but sometimes the “safe” play is the smart play.
Gill Alexander
| GILL | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | CALEB WILLIAMS PASSING YARDS LEADER (20/1) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 2 | BRONCOS WIN AFC WEST (+225) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | CALEB WILLIAMS OVER 3625.5 PASSING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 4 | 49ERS OVER 9.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 5 | CHARGERS UNDER 9.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 6 | TERRY MCLAURIN OVER 5.5 RECEIVING TDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 7 | SEAHAWKS OVER 10.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 8 | FALCONS TO WIN NFC SOUTH (+400) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 9 | STEELERS UNDER 8.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 10 | JARED GOFF PASSING TDS LEADER (+950) | STAT LEADER |
A lot of NFC North love from Gill, who bookended his picks with stat leaders who are signal callers in that division. He also took Bears QB Caleb Williams to surpass his passing yards, so he’ll be rooting for quite a bit of offense with those player props. That’s also true of his one homer pick, backing Terry McLaurin of his beloved Commanders. Like the list you’ll see coming up from Jonathan Von Tobel, the West Division in each conference was an area of emphasis for Gill.
Jensen Lewis
| JENSEN | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | AJ BROWN MOST RECEIVING YARDS (20/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 2 | VIKINGS WIN NFC NORTH (+510) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | CHRIS GODWIN OVER 699.5 RECEIVING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 4 | BRONCOS OVER 9.5 WINS (-115) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 5 | RAVENS UNDER 11.5 WINS (-140) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 6 | DRAKE LONDON MOST RECEIVING YARDS (16/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 7 | PATRIOTS WIN AFC EAST (+125) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 8 | BILLS OVER 10.5 WINS (-120) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 9 | VIKINGS UNDER 8.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 10 | DJ MOORE OVER 824.5 RECEIVING YARDS (-115) | PLAYER PROP |
Year 2 as a host and Year 2 in our VSiN NFL Futures Draft, though I guess it was Year 2 for everybody in that context. We can debate whether or not a long shot that pays 20x is the right move with a first-round pick, but it sure is an interesting way to start. Both season stat leaders for JLew came from the Most Receiving Yards category, so he’s got two kicks at the can there. There are also some intriguing hedge strategies here, with the Vikings at +510 to win the NFC North, but also Under 8.5 wins, something similar to Patriots +125 to win the AFC East and Bills Over 10.5 wins.
John “Fantasy Guru” Hansen
| GURU | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | VIKINGS OVER 8.5 WINS (-120) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 2 | RAVENS WIN AFC NORTH (-112) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | DRAKE MAYE PASSING YARDS LEADER (12/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 4 | PACKERS UNDER 9.5 WINS (-130) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 5 | DJ MOORE OVER 59.5 RECEPTIONS (-115) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 6 | TEE HIGGINS RECEIVING TDS LEADER (18/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 7 | FALCONS UNDER 7.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 8 | DAVID MONTGOMERY OVER 799.5 RUSHING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 9 | SAINTS OVER 7.5 WINS (-120) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 10 | DOLPHINS WIN AFC EAST (40/1) | DIVISION WINNER |
Fantasy football and betting on football have a lot of crossover to say the least, as Prop Points host John Hansen made his return to our airwaves to make his selections in this year’s VSiN NFL Futures Draft. A couple of double-digit shots in the stat leader department stood out for a while until a long shot bomb on the Dolphins in the AFC East. To be fair, while that prop has a very low-percentage chance of winning, there are 32 teams and 26 of them had to be selected to win their respective divisions with 13 pickers in the futures field.
Jonathan Von Tobel
| JVT | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | BRONCOS UNDER 9.5 WINS (-105) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 2 | LIONS WIN NFC NORTH (+170) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | FERNANDO MENDOZA UNDER 2199.5 PASSING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 4 | JOE BURROW PASSING YARDS LEADER (+750) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 5 | JETS OVER 5.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 6 | CARDINALS OVER 3.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 7 | SEAHAWKS UNDER 10.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 8 | 49ERS WIN NFC WEST (+305) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 9 | JEREMIYAH LOVE OVER 774.5 RUSHING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 10 | KENNETH WALKER RUSHING YARDS LEADER (30/1) | STAT LEADER |
JVT had to come into this year’s contest with a major chip on his shoulder, as last year’s futures selections went just 2-8, but there was a lot of bad luck and misfortune in the mix. Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. were among his selections and both got hurt, and a plus-money price on the Dolphins Under 6.5 wins didn’t get there despite a 2-7 start to the season. This season, JVT went heavy on the West Divisions in each conference, with each of his last five picks tied to the NFC West and two of his first three on the AFC West.
Keyshawn Johnson
| KEYSHAWN | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | COURTLAND SUTTON OV 750 RECEIVING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 2 | KYLER MURRAY OV 3050.5 PASSING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 3 | BEARS WIN NFC NORTH (+305) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 4 | RAIDERS OVER 5.5 WINS (-145) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 5 | BILLS UNDER 10.5 WINS (-120) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 6 | COWBOYS UNDER 9.5 WINS (-140) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 7 | TREVOR LAWRENCE PASSING YARDS LEADER (18/1) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 8 | CHARGERS WIN AFC WEST (+190) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 9 | DERRICK HENRY RUSHING YARDS LEADER (+600) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 10 | PANTHERS OVER 7.5 WINS (+110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
It was a treat to have 11-year NFL vet Keyshawn Johnson as a part of this year’s draft and you can’t help but wonder if the 2001 league leader in targets had a different kind of target on him in this draft from our highly-competitive crew of hosts. Also, it seems kind of fitting that the 1996 first overall pick included two QBs who have that same distinction, with Kyler Murray going 1.01 in 2019 and Trevor Lawrence in 2021.
Dave Ross
| DAVE | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | COWBOYS WIN NFC EAST (+215) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 2 | TITANS OVER 6.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 3 | CARDINALS UNDER 3.5 WINS (+115) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 4 | BIJAN ROBINSON RUSHING YARDS LEADER (+700) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 5 | AJ BROWN RECEIVING TDS LEADER (15/1) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 6 | TITANS WIN AFC SOUTH (+800) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 7 | STEELERS OVER 8.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 8 | CAM WARD OVER 20.5 PASSING TDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 9 | MALIK WILLIS OVER 14.5 PASSING TDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 10 | RAIDERS UNDER 5.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
We didn’t have any pre-draft odds on individual draft picks or anything, but Dave Ross to pick the Cowboys to win the NFC East with his first selection would have been -10000000. That’s precisely what he did, while also showing a ton of love for the Titans, taking Over 6.5, AFC South, and Cam Ward Over Pass TDs as part of his portfolio. Maybe he’s just caught up in all of the excitement living in the Nashville metro now that he’s broadcasting from our Circa Sportsbook studio at The Mint Gaming Hall in Franklin, KY.
Matt Youmans
| MATT | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | DAK PRESCOTT MOST PASSING TDS (+850) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 2 | STEELERS WIN AFC NORTH (+510) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | LIONS OVER 10.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 4 | COMMANDERS UNDER 7.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 5 | DANIEL JONES UNDER 3299.5 PASSING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 6 | BROCK BOWERS RECEIVING TDS LEADER (30/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 7 | CHIEFS WIN AFC WEST (+160) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 8 | JAHMYR GIBBS OVER 1199.5 RUSHING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 9 | PATRIOTS OVER 10.5 WINS (+115) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 10 | EAGLES UNDER 10.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
Last year’s maid of honor is looking to be the bride this year, as Youmans had the most success in the field, but it is hard to overcome a 13/1 ticket cashing in this kind of format. He went out on a limb with his own long shot here on Brock Bowers, but opted for a more conservative portfolio otherwise, much like he did last year with one division long shot priced around what he got the Steelers at here.
Mitch Moss
| MITCH | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | DE’ZHAUN STRIBLING OVER RECEIVING YARDS 574.5 (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 2 | SAINTS WIN NFC SOUTH (+270) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | JA’MARR CHASE RECEPTIONS LEADER (+475) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
| Round 4 | RAMS OVER 11.5 WINS (-125) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 5 | COLTS UNDER 7.5 WINS (+115) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 6 | CALEB WILLIAMS OVER 24.5 PASSING TDS (+100) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 7 | EAGLES WIN NFC EAST (+120) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 8 | BENGALS UNDER 10.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 9 | BEARS OVER 9.5 WINS (+105) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 10 | CAM SKATTEBO RUSHING TDS LEADER (40/1) | SEASON STAT LEADER |
Last season, Mitch Moss had plus-money prices on all 10 of his selections and that strategy backfired, as the risk didn’t produce the reward. This season, there are still a lot of plus-money shots, but some very reasonable bets at minus prices as well. In looking at this portfolio overall, if the teams in question reach the consensus expectations, it should be a very good list of picks.
Nick Bakay
| NICK | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | KYLER MURRAY PASSING YARDS LEADER (40/1) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 2 | JETS UNDER 5.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 3 | KENNETH WALKER UNDER 949.5 RUSHING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 4 | SEAHAWKS WIN NFC WEST (+215) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 5 | JAGUARS OVER 8.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 6 | WANDALE ROBINSON OVER 699.5 RECEIVING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 7 | DAVID MONTGOMERY RUSHING TDS LEADER (40/1) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 8 | 49ERS UNDER 9.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 9 | DOLPHINS OVER 3.5 WINS (-110) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 10 | BROWNS WIN AFC NORTH (21/1) | DIVISION WINNER |
I’m not sure with our VSiN demographic if mentioning that Nick Bakay was the voice of Salem Saberhagen on Sabrina the Teenage Witch or that he was the voice of Norbert on The Angry Beavers will resonate, but he’s a man of many talents. The Buffalo native also wrote for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine and has had a longstanding interest in sports and sports betting. Nick is sure to talk about his futures draft and a whole lot more on his new show, Winning Ugly, which can be heard on Wednesday nights (starting 9/2) from 10-11 p.m. ET.
Tim Murray
| TIM | PICK | CATEGORY |
| Round 1 | NICO COLLINS MOST RECEIVING YARDS (16/1) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 2 | BENGALS WIN AFC NORTH (+184) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 3 | COWBOYS OVER 9.5 WINS (+100) | WIN TOTAL OV |
| Round 4 | PANTHERS UNDER 7.5 WINS (-136) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 5 | OMAR COOPER JR. UNDER 449.5 RECEIVING YARDS (-115) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 6 | TEXANS WIN AFC SOUTH (+110) | DIVISION WINNER |
| Round 7 | JOSH ALLEN PASSING YARDS LEADER (25/1) | STAT LEADER |
| Round 8 | OMARION HAMPTON OVER 949.5 RUSHING YARDS (-110) | PLAYER PROP |
| Round 9 | DOLPHINS UNDER 3.5 WINS (+120) | WIN TOTAL UN |
| Round 10 | CHIEFS OVER 10.5 WINS (+115) | WIN TOTAL OV |
Like Meagher, it was a long wait in between picks for Tim Murray, but at least he got to make two of them back-to-back when it was his turn. The two big bombs in the stat leader category stand out, given that the division winner picks include a favorite and a second favorite. We cannot repeat what Ross texted Murray after Tim’s third-round selection of the Cowboys Over their season win total, but you can guess what was said.
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