Darryn Peterson’s Latest 2026 NBA Draft Odds: Will the Kansas Star Go No. 1?

The 2026 NBA Draft has finally arrived, and arguably the biggest question of this year’s draft remains: Who will go No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards?

One of the players vying for the top spot is Kansas guard Darryn Peterson who declared for this year’s draft on April 24 after a tumultuous freshman season in Lawrence where he missed 11 games and suffered limited playing time due to hamstring and ankle injuries, cramping, and flu-like symptoms at various times throughout the season.

Despite the missed time, Peterson was able to put together arguably the most impressive freshman season (statistically) of any Kansas men’s basketball player this century by averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. He earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team and Second Team All-Big 12 honors following the 2026-27 conference slate.

Because of the missed playing time and the negative narrative that it caused – despite his efforts to later clarify the situation – Peterson saw his odds of going No. 1 slowly decrease toward the end of the 2026-27 season and shift in favor of BYU’s AJ Dybantsa.

Peterson’s odds of going No. 1 have now never been longer than they are a night before the draft begins. FanDuel currently has Peterson at +500 to go No. 1, while Dybantsa is -600. DraftKings has similar odds with Peterson at +475 and Dybantsa at -550.

According to the sportsbooks, it’s safe to say that Peterson’s odds are long indeed to become the third Jayhawk ever to be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft along with Danny Manning and Andrew Wiggins. But that hasn’t stopped Peterson from betting on himself.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, Peterson only worked out for the Wizards during the draft process – showing a lot of confidence in his ability to still be the first pick off the board. ESPN NBA Draft writer and analyst Jeremy Woo also listed Peterson as the No. 1 player on the 2026 NBA Draft Big Board in his final rankings just a few days ago.

All eyes will be on what the Wizards do with the top pick as the draft begins June 23 at 7 p.m. CT airing live from the Barclays Center in New York on ABC and ESPN.

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