This NBA season has given us an interesting MVP race with several strong candidates. Here is Fanduel’s top five candidates as of March 23, 2026.
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (+20000)
A Jaylen Brown first-time MVP award is most definitely a long shot, but that has nothing to do with his own performance. Brown and the Celtics were overlooked coming into the season due to losing one option, Jason Tatum. But he has proved his worth this season. JB has led Boston to a home playoff team as the 2 seed in the East, and is the only candidate on this list from the Eastern Conference. It would be difficult for Brown to beat out some of the candidates in front of him, but if everything goes his way, it is certainly possible.
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (+4500)
Jokic is in year six of MVP numbers and is looking better than ever. He’s 8th in points per game (28 PPG) and leads the entire NBA in rebounds and assists per game. Plus, he’s doing all this on elite efficiency, with over 67% true shooting. Unfortunately for the Serbian big man, he has already missed 16 games this season. If he misses more than one more game, he will not meet the 65-game threshold and will be ineligible for awards. If he can hold out and stay healthy, and his Nuggets can maintain their record, he should have a decent shot at the award.
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+3300)
Wemby remained elite in year three, and now he has the team success to show for it. The Spurs are 22-2 in their last 24 games, and are currently second in the West. Not only has Wembanyama been able to put up elite numbers, but many of his teammates are also having career years thanks to his gravity. Defensively, he does exactly what you would expect as a 7’4” athletic defender to do, leading the league in blocks and adding a steal per game as well. Unfortunately for Wembanyama, he is in a similar situation to Jokic. Wemby has missed 15 games this season, putting him close to falling ineligible for awards.
- Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+1200)
Doncic began the year averaging an absurd 36 PPG, and he is now looking to end the year even hotter. In his last 10 games, Luka is averaging nearly 40 points per game, along with his usual 8 boards and 7 assists per game. Teams know just how good Luka is, but they have yet to find a way to shut him down. With the Lakers currently sitting as the three seed out West, and having won 9 of their last 10, Luka should have a decent shot at his first MVP award.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (-1500)
Unfortunately for the rest of these guys, the reigning MVP has not slowed down, and he is leading the best team in the NBA as well. Gilgeous-Alexander has maintained his ability and is even more efficient than last season. He has been the most consistent player in the league, highlighted by his record-breaking streak of 127 straight games scoring at least 20 points (formally held by Wilt Chamberlain). OKC as a team slowed down mid-year, but has picked up, currently being the hottest team in the league with 12 straight wins. SGA himself has missed 12 games this season, so as long as he doesn’t get injured, he should be a shoo-in as the first back-to-back MVP winner since Nikola Jokic in 2021 and 2022.
