10 Football Cards to Buy Right Now
From a $14 Fernando Mendoza rookie to a $5,000 Tom Brady, these are the top 10 football cards to buy in October.
Jayden Daniels came back from a dislocated left elbow and ran for two touchdowns in Washington's 27-27 overtime tie with the Giants on Oct. 11. Patrick Mahomes has the Chiefs at 4-0 on a rebuilt knee and is one win from tying Tom Brady as the fastest quarterback to 100 regular-season wins. Topps is also back with its first NFL flagship set since 2015, led by No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, so there's a brand-new rookie class to chase this fall.
All four of those players made my top 10, along with three Hall of Fame rookies from the 1950s and '70s for the vintage collectors out there.
I've spread the picks out by price, from cards that cost under $100 to cards that cost up to $5,000. It's important that we report on cards that are obtainable for everyone in this monthly article. All prices are derived from recent sales of the card through Oct. 12.1
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026.
What the odds mean for these cards
| If this happens | Polymarket / Kalshi | Cards on this list |
|---|---|---|
| Rams win Super Bowl LXI | 12.5% / 11.5% | Nacua PSA 10 |
| Chiefs win Super Bowl LXI | 10.1% / 9.5% | Mahomes PSA 10 |
| Mahomes wins NFL MVP | 11.7% / 10.5% | Mahomes PSA 10 |
| Maye wins NFL MVP | 4.8% / 5.5% | Maye PSA 10 |
| Mendoza wins Offensive Rookie of the Year | Not listed / 5.5% | Mendoza Rainbow Foil, raw |
| Nacua wins Offensive Player of the Year | Not listed / 2.5% | Nacua PSA 10 |
Nacua and Mahomes are the two cards the odds can move most, since their teams sit at the top of the Super Bowl market. Mendoza is a long shot for Rookie of the Year, and Lamb and Daniels are long shots in every market.
Budget picks
1. Puka Nacua, 2023 Prizm rookie, PSA 10
Eight PSA 10 copies sold for $40 USD to $89.95 USD between Aug. 26 and Sept. 30. A bargain in my book for a PSA 10 rookie who is putting up historic numbers. PSA has graded 2,425 of his Panini Prizm rookies and given 1,007 of them a 10, so you won't have to look hard to find one.
Through Week 4, Nacua has 4,390 receiving yards in 46 games, moving him past Randy Moss into fifth for a player's first 50 games, behind Justin Jefferson, Lance Alworth, Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones. Back from an injury, he caught nine passes for 125 yards against the Eagles in Week 4 and isn't on the Rams' injury report for their game against Buffalo on Monday night, Oct. 12. Polymarket makes the Rams the Super Bowl favorite at 12.5 percent, while Kalshi has them at 11.5, behind the 49ers.
Nacua catching passes for a Super Bowl favorite is a bet I like at this price.
2. CeeDee Lamb, 2020 Prizm rookie, PSA 10
From Aug. 27 to Oct. 5, eight PSA 10 copies sold for $56.99 USD to $100 USD. The newest sold for $65 USD on Oct. 5. For Lamb fans, a PSA 10 Prizm rookie is still well within reach for most collectors.
Lamb caught a career-high 17 passes for 189 yards and the game-deciding touchdown against Houston in Week 4 for the 30th 100-yard game of his career. Only Michael Irvin has more in Cowboys history.
Lamb left the Cowboys' 24-16 loss to Tampa Bay on Oct. 8 in the fourth quarter with a bruised quadriceps after only two catches for nine yards. Thankfully, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the bruise is "not considered to be serious," and I'm hoping to see Lamb back out there when the Cowboys play at Green Bay on Oct. 18.
3. Fernando Mendoza, 2026 Topps Rainbow Foil rookie, raw
Raw copies sold for $3.25 USD to $20 USD from Oct. 8 to 12. With his 30 most recent copies sold at a median of about $14 USD through Oct. 12, this is the cheapest card on my list.
Mendoza is the cover rookie of 2026 Topps Football and his base card sold at a median of about $2 USD across its 30 most recent raw sales on Oct. 12. For about $14 USD, the Rainbow Foil parallel gives you the same card printed with a foil finish, and I think that shine is worth the upgrade for the No. 1 pick.
Mendoza still hasn't started a game. Kirk Cousins started the Raiders' 45-17 loss at New England on Oct. 11, and Mendoza made his NFL debut with about six minutes left, going 6 of 8 for 48 yards. Coach Klint Kubiak said the Raiders' plan at quarterback "remains unchanged," so buying Mendoza right now is a bet on his future as a starter. Kalshi gives him a 5.5 percent chance of winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, and at this price it's a flyer worth taking on a potential superstar.
Mid-range picks
4. Drake Maye, 2024 Prizm rookie, PSA 10
Maye's PSA 10 sold eight times on eBay for $105.50 USD to $130 USD from Oct. 7 to 12.
He's on a heater, throwing for 269 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-26 comeback over Buffalo in Week 4 before posting 374 passing yards and five total touchdowns against the Raiders on Oct. 11. PSA has graded 8,100 copies of this card and given 2,716 of them a 10, a gem rate of about 34 percent, with gem copies selling every day. Maye's market is liquid enough to sell if you ever want out. I'm expecting him to keep putting up big numbers.
5. Jayden Daniels, 2024 Prizm Silver rookie, PSA 10
Daniels's Silver has been on a roller coaster since September. PSA 10 copies sold for $780 USD and $799.95 USD on Sept. 20, the Sunday Daniels dislocated his elbow. Later that day and through Oct. 6, six more copies sold for $529 USD to $659 USD. Since he returned on Oct. 11, his market has recovered, with four copies sold that day for $676 USD to $777 USD.
The Silver is the Prizm parallel I'd chase, and PSA has graded only 801 Silvers a 10 against 5,753 of his base Prizm rookie. The price dropped after his elbow injury and climbed again the day he returned, which tells me collectors still believe in him.
Daniels played the Giants game in a left-arm brace and will keep it on through the end of the season. NBC Sports reports that offseason surgery hasn't been ruled out, which is a scary thought for Commanders fans and anyone holding his cards.
6. Walter Payton, 1976 Topps rookie, PSA 6
Seven PSA 6 copies sold for $480.02 USD to $709 USD between Oct. 4 and Oct. 12. Most of them sold near $620 USD.
Payton retired as the NFL's career rushing leader, so it's no surprise his 1976 Topps rookie has one of the deepest markets in vintage football. With more than 30 sales in PSA 6 over 90 days, you can pay the going price and resell without a long wait.
The flip side is that PSA has graded 2,994 copies a 6, and all that supply caps the price, so this is a card to own and enjoy for the long haul.
7. Johnny Unitas, 1957 Topps rookie, PSA 4
PSA 4 copies sold nine times for $516 USD to $1,026 USD between Aug. 15 and Oct. 9. With a $1,026 USD top sale, I can only imagine that buyer will crack the slab, restore their new prize and resubmit it to PSA.
The 2026 Topps Flagship set brings back the design of Unitas's 1957 Topps rookie with 1957 Rookie Variations of the 2026 rookies, and I love seeing one of the hobby's classic designs introduced to a new generation of collectors.
The tribute set is the only news behind this pick, so do your homework and check any asking price against recent sales before you pull the trigger.
High-end picks
8. Patrick Mahomes, 2017 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie, PSA 10
PSA 10 copies sold for $1,470 USD to $1,650 USD in eight sales between Oct. 2 and Oct. 12.
The Optic is the chrome version of the Donruss Rated Rookie and my pick for a Mahomes rookie in this price range. He has 99 wins in 130 starts, so beating the Chargers at Arrowhead on Oct. 18 would tie him with Brady as the fastest to 100 regular-season wins.
A loss to the Chargers would only delay the milestone, so the bigger question for me is how his rebuilt knee holds up over the long run.
9. Jim Brown, 1958 Topps rookie, PSA 4
Six PSA 4 copies sold for $1,233 USD to $1,750 USD between Aug. 18 and Oct. 10.
Brown led the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine seasons, a level of dominance that still blows my mind. His 1958 Topps rookie trades most often at PSA 4, with a dozen sales in 90 days, so mid-grade is the sweet spot for collectors chasing this one.
At this grade, centering and eye appeal set the price of each copy, so take your time with the photos and find one that looks great in the slab.
10. Tom Brady, 2000 Bowman Chrome rookie, PSA 7
No football top 10 would be complete without the GOAT. Three PSA 7 copies of his key Chrome rookie sold on eBay between Sept. 23 and Oct. 2. The two newest each sold for $5,000 USD, on Oct. 1 and on Oct. 2.
A copy sold for $4,320 USD in a Fanatics Collect auction on Aug. 16, buyer's premium included, so I'd keep an eye on the auction houses before paying $5,000 USD on eBay.
We'll update this list every month.
Notes
- Prices are completed sales on eBay, Fanatics Collect, Goldin and Alt, checked on Oct. 12, 2026, against the recent sales recorded for each card at the same grade. Auction-house prices include the buyer's premium. Prediction-market odds are from Polymarket and Kalshi, read between 10:07 and 10:13 a.m. Pacific on Oct. 12. ↩
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