NFL Expert Picks: Best Futures Bets for the 2025 Season

With how many options we have for betting NFL futures, it's hard to pick just one.

But who doesn't love a lil torture on a Tuesday?

I tasked our NFL writing staff with doing exactly that: picking their favorite future for this upcoming season. They were allowed to pick from win totals, division winners, Super Bowl markets, or player props -- anything you can find in FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds.

It wasn't an easy choice. But here's what they settled on when forced to pick just one.

Best NFL Futures Bets for 2025

Austin Swaim

Seahawks to Win the NFC West (+500)

Oddsmakers are saying this team likely got at least two wins worse than last year; I vehemently disagree.

Even adjusting for situation, Sam Darnold is a lateral move after posting 0.04 expected points added per drop back (EPA/db) to Geno Smith's -0.02 last season, per NFL's Next Gen Stats. The team added Klint Kubiak at offensive coordinator to help their run game, and they were numberFire's 10th-ranked schedule-adjusted D last year. I gave them the best grade in the draft after securing two of my top-30 prospects.

In a division where the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are already battling key injuries, don't sleep on the Seahawks.

Kenyatta Storin

JJ McCarthy Over 3575.5 Passing Yards (-114)

This is taking a leap of faith on someone who hasn't even played a NFL regular season snap yet, but Kevin O'Connell helped a left-for-dead Sam Darnold reach 4,319 passing yards last year, and before that, Kirk Cousins racked up 4,547 in 2022 and was on pace for over 4,900 in an injury-shortened 2023.

We don't need J.J. McCarthy to come anywhere close to those marks to beat this number, and he'll be supported by the sixth-best receiving corps and seventh-best offensive line, per PFF. FantasyPros' consensus projections peg McCarthy for 4,084.5 passing yards.

Our Jim Sannes' QB model ranked McCarthy as the second-best prospect ahead of the 2024 draft, which is another promising sign for his 2025 outlook.

Austan Kas

Travis Kelce to Record 6-Plus Receiving Touchdowns (+105)

Travis Kelce hasn't hit the six-TD mark in two straight seasons, and he isn't getting any younger. But Kelce was still a big factor near the goal-line for the Kansas City Chiefs last year, garnering nine targets from inside the 10-yard line, which was a team-leading mark. He also notched 25 red-zone targets, tied for the third-most among all players.

Our Jim Sannes projects the Chiefs to score the fourth-most points per game, and that should only help Kelce in this market.

Annie Nader

Puka Nacua to Record 10-Plus Receiving Touchdowns (+350)

Puka Nacua was a touchdown regression candidate heading into last season after scoring just 6 times on 160 targets in his rookie campaign (3.8% TD%). He went on to score only 3 times via 106 targets through 11 games in 2024, bringing his career touchdown rate down to an unsustainable 3.4% clip.

Our Brandon Gdula notes that, since 2016, wide receivers are averaging 7.8 touchdowns when handed a workload that included 100-plus targets, 12-plus red zone targets, and 950-plus receiving yards – marks that Nacua exceeded last year despite missing six full games. I’ll back the scoring regression to come on strong for Nacua at +350 odds.

Riley Thomas

George Pickens to Record 8-Plus Receiving Touchdowns (+240)

Throughout his career, George Pickens has flashed big-time potential as a deep threat and red-zone target thanks to his exceptional ability in contested situations. I expect this trait to shine in 2025 as Pickens has yet to play with a quarterback on par with Dak Prescott.

With an uncertain running back room, I expect most of the Dallas Cowboys' success to still come through the air. Plenty of one-on-one opportunities should allow Pickens to find the end zone in 2025.

Skyler Carlin

Chase Brown to Record 1,000-Plus Rushing Yards (+125)

Chase Brown made 10 starts for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024, averaging 17.6 carries and 72.8 rushing yards per game while he logged 80.9% of the offensive snaps during that span (via Next Gen Stats), and he's primed for a massive workload in 2025.

With veteran Samaje Perine and rookie sixth-round pick Tahj Brooks being the only competition for touches in Cincy's backfield, Brown should have a decent chance to reach 1,000-plus rushing yards on pure volume in an offense that should be on the field plenty.

Jim Sannes

49ers to Win the Super Bowl (+2000)

It's very possible the bottom falls out on the 49ers, given their mounting injuries at receiver. That's why I don't want anything to do with their baseline win total, and even their NFC West odds at +160 don't get me enough bang for my risk exposure.

But at +2000 to win it all or +900 to win the NFC, we can party.

Most of the big injuries for the 49ers aren't season-enders. In fact, those guys should be ready to play when it matters most down the stretch.

While they're recovering, the 49ers get boosted by what is far and away the easiest schedule in the NFL. It gives them a viable path to the 1 seed in the NFC, and even with a downgrade for the receiver injuries, I have them projected for the second most wins in the conference.

There's plentiful risk here, so make sure you're accounting for that. This market, though, provides enough upside for me to justify a leap of faith.

Futures Day is August 26th — and you’re officially on the clock. Enjoy 24 hours of boosts, bonuses, and bragging rights. Check out the latest futures odds and learn more here.

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.