John Fanta Believes 2026 is ‘Super Bowl or Bust’ for Rams; Shares MVP, Dark Horse Super Bowl Picks

Broadcaster John Fanta is one of the premier names in college basketball and the NBA, but in the offseason, he loves himself a football Sunday.

After a little morning walk, setting his fantasy lineup and firing up his “painful” Cleveland Browns – along with RedZone – Fanta is locked in a full day of football. And he vows that he will never miss a Sunday Night Football game, because he can’t sleep without knowing the result.

“I'm a fan like everybody,” Fanta told Sports Illustrated. “And, yeah, those are the dream Sundays, and we get to have at least 17 of them.”

Week 1 of the 2026 season kicks off with a Wednesday night game between the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots before the first-ever NFL game in Australia featuring the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

Fanta believes the Rams are the rightful favorite to win the Super Bowl, especially now that Aaron Donald is back in the fold.

“But the Rams are the clear frontrunner,” he said. “I can't remember a team going into a season having this much overwhelming feeling of, ‘Man, if they don't make at least the NFC Championship game, what happened?’

“Now, Matt Stafford's got to stay healthy. If he doesn't stay healthy, who's getting people the football? But when you've got Puka, and you've got Davante Adams, and you've got Jordan Whittington, you've got Kyren Williams, an offensive line that protects – we're not even talking about Trent McDuffie in that secondary.

“Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald... I mean, that's Undertaker and Kane. That is as dynamic a duo as you're going to see. It's a made-for-Hollywood movie. Every fanbase that's not the Rams is going to despise it. They've got the hotshot coach who could be in Hollywood acting in movies in Sean McVay.”

Los Angeles is currently +500 to win the Super Bowl at DraftKings Sportsbook, clearly ahead of the next-closest teams (+1000), including the defending champion Seahawks (+1200). Does that put any more pressure on the Rams entering the regular season?

“Look, it's Super Bowl or bust,” Fanta said. “Rarely do I say that about a football team, because to me it's so hard for you to get to the Super Bowl. But it really is.”

The Rams may be all-in to win this season, but there are a few more teams further down the odds board that could be worth a look this season. After all, 17 teams at DraftKings have +3000 odds or better to win the Super Bowl.

That includes the Cincinnati Bengals (+1800) and the Detroit Lions (+1900) two teams that failed to make the playoffs last season. Despite that, Fanta believes there’s an argument for both teams as stealth Super Bowl contenders.

“I think that there's two teams that come to mind that could be in a position to get there and perhaps win it,” he said. “So the two teams I would submit are Detroit and Cincinnati.”

Fanta believes the Lions were a lot better than the record showed in the 2025 season, where they finished in last in the NFC North despite winning nine games.

“You look at their roster, they're still well-positioned,” Fanta said. “You know, provided that Jared Goff is upright and making the right throws, that team, they're well in their window for contention. Amon-Ra St. Brown is there, Jahmyr Gibbs is a machine, and defensively, provided that Hutchinson and company can stay healthy, that team is nasty still. And I think Dan Campbell thrives on being the bounce-back, get-off-the-mat type team and coach. Remember, they'll have a more favorable schedule.”

In fact, the Lions project to have the easiest schedule in the NFL in the 2026 season, which is why they’re ahead of some contenders like Denver, Green Bay and others in the odds to win the Super Bowl.

As for his Cincinnati pick, Fanta simply isn’t a fan of the AFC North, even though it includes his hometown team – the Cleveland Browns.

“The Bengals, I say the Bengals because I don't love the AFC North,” Fanta said. “I think the Steelers are not very good, I think the Browns are bad, and the Ravens have a new coach. We think it's going to work, Lamar Jackson, you know, his next destination – if that's still Baltimore or if that's Tampa or wherever it may be. There's a lot on the line for Lamar. Maybe Lamar goes out and balls, but Lamar's health has been a factor.”

Fanta admitted that Joe Burrow has to stay healthy for the Bengals, but he also credited them for spending to upgrade the roster this offseason.

“When you can get Dexter Lawrence in the middle and you've got Jonathan Allen there up front… Offensively, I mean, if Burrow stays healthy, he's got all the pieces and all the toys,” Fanta said.

John Fanta Drops His MVP Dark Horse

Picking the Super Bowl winner before the season is always fun, but when it comes to the award markets, nothing gets discussed more throughout the season than the MVP.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the favorite in 2026 – and Fanta doesn’t want to go against him – yet he revealed an interesting dark horse to consider: Trevor Lawrence.

“Jacksonville, they got this hot young coach who's smart and knows how to pivot,” Fanta said. “Trevor Lawrence has a lot of tools. So I think watch out for Lawrence to be on the radar. Would I go against Josh Allen? Hell no. But I'd certainly think about Trevor Lawrence.”

If you want to get behind some of Fanta’s picks, or simply want to add to your rooting interest during football season, DraftKings has announced “DraftKings Gameday,” a one-day nationwide celebration taking place Sept. 2.

It will feature exclusive promotions for customers, in-person activations, a charitable donation and a new creative campaign and a custom in-app experience.

“So, Wednesday, Sept. 2, a full day of exclusive customer offers, fan experiences, and special events celebrating the return of football,” Fanta said. “Look, it's our favorite time of year. I mean, there's nothing like the return of college football and the NFL. And I think the Gameday is just going to be a wonderful enhancement to the entire experience.”

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