In the wake of the first round of the NFL Draft, there are a few early values on the board that we want to make you aware of. If there are any notable awards angles with any second or third-round prospects, I’ll drop those thoughts in the betting channel of our Discord.
Offensive Rookie of the Year Value Options
Jayden Daniels (+650 to +1400 FanDuel)
Daniels is a dual-threat quarterback in the mold of former Washington OROY Robert Griffin III. That skill set gives Daniels a realistic path to being the most impactful offense rookie this season. He’s among the four favorites at both DraftKings and BetMGM, making him a considerable value at +1400 on FanDuel (Daniels was available at +1600 on FanDuel shortly after first-round coverage ended.)
There’s some chance that Marcus Mariota opens the season as Washington’s starting quarterback. That or a preseason injury are the only ways that Daniels could enter the year with longer odds than you can currently get on FanDuel.
J.J. McCarthy (+600 to +1000 FanDuel)
It’s possible that Sam Darnold starts on opening day for the Vikings, but Darnold is a very surmountable obstacle for McCarthy to be the guy in Minnesota early this season. Regardless of your thoughts on McCarthy as a talent, he’ll be surrounded by an exceptional supporting cast on offense during his rookie season. If he starts on opening day, he’ll enter the year as one of the four favorites in this market.
Offensive Rookie of the Year Notes
Drake Maye is closer to Trey Lance than Josh Allen as a talent. Maye also inherits one of the league’s worst supporting casts and it would make sense if New England “protected” Maye early by opening the season with Jacoby Brissett. That said, Maye can be had at +2500 on FanDuel where he’s priced as low as +1200 on BetMGM.
Bo Nix is available at +3000 on FanDuel, while being priced in the +1600 to +1800 range at most other national sportsbooks. Much like Maye, Nix inherits a below-average supporting cast on offense and the Broncos are on the short list of teams that could end up with next year’s first overall pick. However, also like Maye, Nix has a dual-threat skill set where he could put up better than expected production if he plays early this season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has a much better first-year landing spot than fellow top ten wide receivers Malik Nabers (quarterback ineptitude) and Rome Odunze (rookie quarterback plus major target competition). You can get Harrison Jr. at a slight value on DraftKings and FanDuel at +600, where it’s hard to see anything short of an injury reducing Harrison’s odds before opening day. In some ways, Harrison Jr. is this year’s Bijan Robinson in the Offensive Player of the Year race.
Defensive Rookie of the Year Notes
This award is usually won by top of the draft pass rushers, but in this year’s draft, the first defensive player wasn’t taken until the 15th pick. That player, Colts Edge Laiatu Latu, is currently +450 on DraftKings but +650 on FanDuel. The next Edge rusher taken, Dallas Turner by Minnesota with the 17th pick, is +450 on FanDuel but +650 on DraftKings. Latu is part of a better pass rush in Indianapolis, which gives him a slight advantage over Turner.
There were four other pass rushers taken in the first round, but none of those are available at a notable value as of this writing.
Corners Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold both have paths to early playing time with NFC contenders, which makes them both worth monitoring. Arnold comes at a doable value on DraftKings at +1400, where he’s currently +1000 on FanDuel.
As of this writing Defensive Rookie of the Year markets are only open on DraftKings and FanDuel, so make sure you check to see if other books have set lines in this market before placing any wagers.
