The past 11 NFL Most Valuable Player winners have been quarterbacks, but the Offensive Player of the Year award has gone to another skill position group in each of the past five years.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey took home the honor last season, and he’s being offered at +750 by DraftKings to repeat the feat in 2024. That’s behind only Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill at +700.
However, those short odds — and the unpredictable nature of breakout offensive players — has led to modest support for the two stars. McCaffrey is sixth among all players in receiving 6 percent of the total money wagered on the OPOY at DraftKings, while Hill is ninth with just 4 percent.
The public has been far more supportive of a pair of young running backs who appear primed for breakout campaigns.
Atlanta Falcons second-year back Bijan Robinson and New York Jets third-year back Breece Hall have each drawn 10 percent of the money wagered. Robinson has been backed by 9 percent of all bets at +1800, while Hall has garnered 8 percent of the bets at +1500.
Robinson is coming off a rookie season in which he rushed for 976 yards and added another 487 receiving while totaling eight touchdowns. He is still backed up by veteran Tyler Allgeier, but Robinson will be the clear No. 1 back under new head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.
After having his rookie season was cut short by a knee injury, Hall returned last season to rush for 994 yards and five touchdowns while adding another 591 yards and four scores as a receiver. His primary backups with the Jets are rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis.
Behind the pair of young backs is Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who has received 8 percent of the total bets at +1200. However, he leads all players by a wide margin with 13 percent of the total bets backing him to win OPOY.
The last wide receiver to do so was Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson after the 2022 season. Chase battled through injuries and quarterback issues to catch 100 passes for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
With Joe Burrow back at the helm of the offense, the public is betting on Chase just entering his prime. Through his first three NFL seasons, the former LSU star has averaged 1,239 yards and just under 10 touchdowns.
Just behind Chase is another wide receiver in Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has been backed by 7 percent of the money at +2200. Fifth on the list is new Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley with another 7 percent at +2000, followed by McCaffrey.
The book is offering a slew of props for McCaffrey, who is a +4000 longshot to win MVP honors but is +275 to both lead the NFL in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns as well as lead the league in rushing.
–Field Level Media
