Defensive Player of the Year: Byron Murphy (+7500 to +15000 Caesars)
The Defensive Player of the Year is primarily a pass rusher award, but right now, we have a situation where Will Anderson Jr. (+125) could lead the league in sacks while the 1-4 Texans fail to make the playoffs. Myles Garrett won last year’s DPOY while playing for a team with a losing record, but he also broke the single-season sack record. If Anderson records more than 23 sacks and beats Garrett’s record, Houston’s record won’t matter. But if he doesn’t, and the Texans do not make the playoffs, that opens the door for non-pass rushers in this year’s race.
Fred Warner would make sense in that event, as he’s a premier player for a 5-0 49ers team, but he is +1000. I don’t bet on outlier outcomes with two-thirds of a season left at +1000. But Murphy is currently tied for the league lead with three interceptions for the 5-0 Vikings, whose success is being driven by their defense. Given the discrepancy between sportsbooks on Murphy, where he’s a great value at Caesars, he has an interesting profile if Anderson keeps smashing while Houston falls short on the team success front.
MVP: Jared Goff (+3000 to +5000 BetMGM)
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