It’s NFL season, everyone! As we dip our toes into football season, we start making bets. While making picks on the individual games, the Super Bowl, the money line, the point spread and over/under is all great fun, there’s something else you should consider.
The usual betting types are great, but those outside the scoring of the game are even more fun. Do you have a favorite player? Can you anticipate who will break records, or who will come out at the end of the season as a big dog? Start by picking a player and place your bets, because there are a whole host of stellar NFL players to place bets on.
Player Prop Bets
What are we talking about? We are talking about prop bets. These are bets that have nothing to do with the outcome of a game. Prop bets are popular during the Super Bowl as they can be about the result of the coin toss and other non-scoring related parts of the game. Yet, we really want to talk about player prop bets targeted towards player performance. Player prop bets can be on anything, including rushing yards, passing yards, touchdowns, sacks and so on.
Player Futures
There are so many options when it comes to prop bets, but player futures are some of the most popular. We have already spent some time looking into them, including what and who we think will be taking this season by storm and which prop bets on which players will be the best.
We have compiled a list of the best player future prop bets to look into. Of course there are many, but we think these will have traction this year.
Most Valuable Player
We have Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at 25-1 and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott at 25-1. Wilson was the favorite to win MVP during the first half of last season before falling short towards the end of the year. He had so much support during his hot streak last year and every pundit was wondering how he never earned a single MVP vote.
Prescott can be considered as another mid-tier option. He has put up MVP worthy stats, and despite missing most of last year due to a leg injury and suffering a scare in training camp, he is now healthy and ready to rock.
Defensive Player of the Year
We have Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt at 10-1, Broncos edge rusher Bradley Chubb at 60-1, Seahawks safety Jamal Adams at 80-1, and Buccaneers' linebacker Devin White, also at 80-1.
The typical formula for this award is to find a team that exceeds expectations behind a stellar defense that makes up for a mediocre offense, then pick the unit's best player.
Both Watt and Chubb fit this perfectly. Adams and White are on teams with competent offenses, but still have a good shot at this trophy.
Most Rushing Yards
For this, we have the Steelers running back Najee Harris at 28-1, and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson at 70-1. It is unusual for a QB to be in the discussion for rushing yards. However, Jackson could well be the first QB to win the NFL’s rushing title, and it is probably more likely than his 70-1 odds would have you think. Jackson actually finished in the top 10 in rushing yards in each of the last two seasons.
Harris, on the other hand, is a more conventional choice. The Steelers have an offense built on the running game. That gives a prominent role to the Alabama rookie, who should be more durable and have less wear than other RBs around the league who have been through the trials of many NFL seasons.
Quarterback Prop Bets
It's hard to avoid quarterbacks when it comes to the offensive categories. For this reason, we want to look at the predictions for QB player prop picks for the 2021 season. These will give you an idea on what bets are the best to make this season:
- Jameis Winston: Under 4,200 passing yards.
- Jameis Winston: Under 23.5 passing touchdowns.
- Jalen Hurts: Over 655.5 rushing yards.
- Josh Allen: Under 480.5 rushing yards.
- Tua Tagovailoa: Over 3,900 passing yards.
- Lamar Jackson: Under 7.5 rushing touchdowns.
- Aaron Rodgers: Under 4,550 passing yards.
- Matt Ryan: Under 29.5 passing touchdowns.
- Sam Darnold: Under 23.5 passing touchdowns.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
