NFL Prop bet for 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year
One of the best things about the new NFL season is that we get to see the very best former college players adapt to professional life. The rookies don’t have an easy time playing against men in the NFL, but some players are destined for stardom and the Offensive Rookie of the Year winner is one of the prestigious awards to win. Some of the past winners include Dallas Cowbotys QB Dak Prescott, New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr, Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton and big Ben Roethlisberger for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The past results have shown that winning this award sets you up for a stellar career and there are some young players capable of taking it out this season. Surprisingly, there is only one quarterback at odds less than 10/1 as punters are expecting this season to be dominated by the running back.
Christian McCaffrey: 6/1 odds
Christian McCaffrey was simply outstanding in his college career with Stanford and the first-round draft pick should have instant success in the NFL. McCaffery, a smaller-statured running back, ran for over 3,900 yards during his three years at Stanford and he scored an incredible 13 touchdowns in his final season with the Cardinal. He’s not just a running back, however, as he was used sparingly as a receiver in college. McCaffrey caught 99 receptions for 1,206 yards and 10 touchdowns.
That’s an average of 12.2 yards per catch and that will rank him as one of the best in the NFL. His father played in the NFL for the Denver Broncos so he has plenty of guidance and playing for the Carolina Panthers should help pad his stats, which will count towards his Offensive Rookie of the Year votes. He will be working alongside quarterback Cam Newton, who many people are expecting to run the ball and take away from McCaffrey’s chances, but Newton has slowed down in recent years and he will be primarily used as a throwing QB.
McCaffrey should get plenty of chances and he’s playing in a division (Tampa Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans) which lacks any run defense, so he could have a field day on more than one occasion.
Leonard Fournette: 9/2 odds
Another running back, Leonard Fournette was drafted No. 4 out of the 2017 draft and there’s no doubting his talent. Fournette ran in a total of 40 touchdowns in three years for LSU – with 22 of those coming in 2015 when he won the NCAA rushing title. 2016 was a worry for Fournette, who came into the season as the raging hot Heisman Trophy favourite. Fournette suffered multiple injuries throughout the season and was involved in some scuffles with teammates and officials.
He doesn’t appear to be as professional as Christian McCaffrey and playing in Jacksonville might not be the best place for him long term, but he’s in for a good season and should help the Jaguars improve from their 3-13 season. Tennessee Titans running back and former Alabama star, Derrick Henry, labelled Fournette as a “once-in-a-lifetime back”.
“Some guys adjust faster, but it was probably a lot easier for him because he’s a once-in-a-lifetime back,” Henry said. The Jaguars got some production from Corey Grant last season, but not enough to keep Fournette out of a job. He will see a lot of the action as quarterbacks Brandon Allen, Blake Bortles and Chad Henne are all hesistant to pass.
Deshaun Watson: 5/1 odds
The only favoured quarterback in the betting, Deshaun Watson led the Clemson Tigers to the NCAA title last season and he was taken by the Houston Texans in the NFL draft. He might have been the third quarterback taken in the draft, but Watson showed composure in his three-year career with Clemson and that holds him in good stead for his professional career. Watson threw for over 10,000 yards in his college career which is quite incredible and he was awarded Offensive MVP in the title game against Alabama. Watson will slip right into the head quarterback role as it’s unlikely the Texans will use Brandon Weeden or Tom Savage.
Watson has a good offensive line in front of him and without a star running back, expect to see Watson take the offense into his own hands.
Prediction: McCaffrey
There is great value with Christian McCaffrey at 6/1 with bet365. He’s a star running back who has his life sorted and he has managed to stay out of both injury and personal trouble in his career to date. He might be smaller than some of the other running backs in the league, but he’s smart and he has blistering pace. Playing for the Panthers will enable McCaffrey to shine and potentially be the best offensive rookie in the NFL this 2017/2018 season.