NBA Rookie of the Year Odds: Can Anyone Reach Wemby?

With the NBA preseason in full force and the regular season only weeks away, a new crop of rookies will look to make their mark on the league this year.

Let's take a look at NBA Rookie of the Year odds on FanDuel Sportsbook to see which first-year players have the best chance at claiming the hardware.

Victor Wembanyama

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +130

As evidenced by Victor Wembanyama's odds to take home the ROY trophy, the hype for this year's number-one overall NBA draft pick couldn't be much higher.

Wemby is already being compared to the likes of LeBron James, but we've seen a couple of these comps turn out in infamous fashion -- the now-NBA-non-factors Jabari Parker and Ben Simmons were once hailed as the next King James.

Despite the fact that the LeBron comparison could certainly be classified as premature, all signs point to Wemby becoming a major force to be rekoned with in the league. At 15 years old, he became the second-youngest player to participate in the EuroCup.

Though Wembanyama is only 19, he has already logged three years of play at the professional level in the LNBA Pro A (and just ask Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic how three years of overseas professional play translates to the NBA).

Wemby will suit up for a San Antonio Spurs team that is in dire need of a star-level player. Though San Antonio isn't expected to make a splash this year (FanDuel Sportsbook sets their season win total at 28.5), they are a well-coached team that will allow Wemby more than enough opportunities to shine on his quest to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Chet Holmgren

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +270

After missing all of last season due to a foot injury, Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren will make his long-awaited NBA debut this month.

Holmgren is a bit of a wild card in the ROY race. He's older than the other candidates by a couple years and comes into the season with a year of experience being part of an NBA team.

Given that his experience with the Thunder has been solely off the court, this may not seem to afford him much, but he should have an easier time transitioning into NBA lifestyle than the other true rookies, which could aid his on-court performance.

Oklahoma City is riddled with young stars, which, depending on how you look at it, could help or hurt Holmgren's ROY chances. He will have to share the ball with the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, which could negatively impact his stat line solely based off opportunity.

However, the Thunder's win total sits at 44.5 for this season, which is leaps ahead of the win totals for the teams of other ROY contenders. If Holmgren establishes himself as one of the main contributors for a successful Thunder team, he could have a feather in his cap that other ROY candidates can't afford.

Scoot Henderson

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +300

Following a blockbuster trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers third-overall draft pick Scoot Henderson just got a lot more opportunity handed to him, which could mean great things for his ROY case.

Henderson will take over as the staring point guard for Portland. Though the Blazers' win total is set at a mere 28.5, they have decent offensive players -- namely Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, and Deandre Ayton -- who should help Henderson ride the wave of a breakout rookie bid.

Prior to the draft, Henderson spent two seasons in the G-League, averaging 15.6 points per game, 5.7 assists per game, and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Henderson's time in the G-League may give him a leg-up against rookies entering the NBA with a college hoops background. An argument can be made that rookies with a background in either the G-League or overseas professional play, as opposed to college hoops, helps separate the wheat from the chaff.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Henderson's odds to average seven-plus assists per game this season sit at -125. This is a fairly high bar that the Blazers' point guard is expected to hit and is a stat that has worked well for previous ROY winners -- Chris Paul averaged 7.8 asissts per game in his ROY-winning season; Ben Simmons averaged 8.2; Ja Morant averaged 7.3.

I think the Blazers are in a great spot to over-perform this season, at least as far as their projected win total is concerned.

Perhaps the market places too much weight on the loss of Damian Lillard, but I think Portland has the perfect amount of offensive pieces for Henderson's ROY case -- not too many studs that it would overshadow his opportunities (see: SGA and Holmgren) but also not such a severe lack of weapons that it would prove difficult for him to run a solid offense.

The Field

The odds to win Rookie of the Year drop significantly after Wembanyama, Holmgren, and Henderson.

Though it would be quite the upset if someone other than one of those three players walked away with the ROY hardware this season, it's by no means out of the realm of possibilities, especially given the strong element of fickleness with season-long awards.

Brandon Miller holds the fourth-shortest ROY odds at +2300. He will share the court with LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier this season -- both players ended last season in the top-20 of field goal attempts per game (the only other team to have two players in the top-20 of shots per night was the Boston Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown).

Based on this, I don't love Miller's chances to see ample productivity this season. He falls into a similar camp as Holmgren as far as opportunities go, but the latter will likely be a part of a playoff-contending squad, while the Charlotte Hornets' win total sits at 30.5.

Amen Thompson sits behind Miller with +3500 odds to win ROY, but given that the Houston Rockets' depth chart has Thompson on the bench -- at least to start the season -- I don't think he is a viable option.

As dark horses go, I think Sasha Vezenkov could be the sneaky move to swipe this year's Rookie of the Year trophy.

After playing over a decade's worth of professional ball overseas, Vezenkov was signed to a three-year contract by the Sacramento Kings in the offseason. Vezenkov is 28 years old and is coming into the NBA fresh off a EuroLeague MVP win (Luka Doncic won this award in 2018).

Given that he finds himself on a championship-contender team, Vezenkov will need to work his way up the Kings' depth chart to have any shot of securing this award.

Though the sample couldn't be smaller, Vezenkov's successful preseason debut could be a sign of good things to come. He posted a stat line of 12 points, two rebounds, and one assist in just 11 minutes of play. The efficiency is certainly there, but time will tell whether this productivity can stick.

Do you think you know which NBA players will take home hardware this season? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA award odds market to bet any major season-long awards with America's Number One Sportsbook. Be sure to check out other basketball betting options, as well.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.