It’s for that reason the top of this list is dominated by skill-position players. Another key caveat to consider is that the winner of these awards tend to be on some of their conference’s best teams. We’d need a near historic season for a player to win this award and not make the playoffs.
As we consider the board, we see a few intriguing options worth a wager, and one of them is not inside the top 10 betting favorites.
Our two favorite bets
Ja’Marr Chase (+1200)
The Bengals will be a team that many are quick to forget, after they dealt with some injuries in 2023. This team is not far removed from two straight AFC Championship appearances (and one Super Bowl berth), and back healthy, Cincinnati should remain one of the AFC’s best teams.
Chase is the clear top receiver on the team, and who knows if Tee Higgins will be a Bengal by the time the season starts. Chase is explosive and has obviously grown quite the chemistry with Joe Burrow.
Chase was inside the top 12 for receptions and receiving yards last year, even with backups throwing him the football. If he can break off a few more long touchdowns that we’ve grown accustomed to from him, he should be in the conversation as one of the Bengals’ most integral pieces.
Puka Nacua (+3000)
If not for C.J. Stroud’s sensational rookie season, Puka Nacua likely takes home Rookie of the Year honors. In his first year with the Rams, Nacua finished fourth in the league in receiving yards, with 1,486. He caught 105 balls, good for ninth-best in the NFL, and he also caught six touchdowns.
Nacua very well may have usurped Cooper Kupp’s role as WR1 in this offense, and as Kupp gets older, his health will become more and more of a factor.
Matthew Stafford has shown himself able to support OPOY winners in the past, as Kupp took home the win just three years ago.
The Rams should once again be a pass-heavy offense and they should remain one of the better teams in the NFC. If Nacua sees even more involvement and can pile on closer to 1,800 yards, there’s a very real world where he takes home this award. We’ll jump on at 30-1.