Who's emerged in Offensive, Defensive Rookie of the Year races?
Three weeks down and 14 to go. Continue to savor the season because it'll be gone before you know it.
You may not have time to scour the future markets as you focus on week-to-week matchups. That's what we're here for. This week, we're breaking down Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards and how the odds have changed since Week 1.
Offensive Rookie of the Year odds| Player | Current odds | Odds prior to season |
|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | +320 | +250 |
| C.J. Stroud | +320 | +1000 |
| Anthony Richardson | +475 | +550 |
| De'Von Achane | +600 | +4000 |
| Puka Nacua | +700 | +15000 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | +1500 | +900 |
| Jordan Addison | +1500 | +1500 |
| Zay Flowers | +1500 | +2200 |
| Tank Dell | +1800 | +6000 |
| Bryce Young | +4000 | +500 |
| Dalton Kincaid | +4000 | +5000 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | +4000 | +1500 |
The Offensive Rookie of the Year race has tightened with less than 20% of the season played.
Running back Bijan Robinson remains the favorite - although now tied with C.J. Stroud - despite his odds lengthening.
Robinson has been the focal point of a Falcons offense dealing with inconsistent quarterback play. He's accumulated 213 rushing yards on 39 carries, good for 5.5 yards per carry. He's also utilized in the passing game, catching 14 passes for over 100 yards and a touchdown. He's been exactly what the Falcons expected when they drafted him No. 8 overall.
The only reason Robinson's odds lengthened is because No. 2 overall pick Stroud has been putting up monster numbers for the Texans. He's thrown for 906 yards, including 384 yards in a Week 2 loss. He's also completing 64.5% of his passes. However, the most impressive stat is he hasn't thrown an interception.
The Texans are a young team, but they may have found their signal-caller for the foreseeable future. If Stroud continues putting up these performances, he might walk away with the award.
Bryce Young had the second-best odds before the year, but they plummeted after two poor performances and an injury that kept him out of Week 3. Young doesn't deserve all the blame. The Panthers' offensive line is a disaster, and the receivers aren't exactly world-class. However, that doesn't absolve Young from the fact he's looked uncomfortable as a passer, and his height as the shortest starting quarterback in the NFL seems to be an issue.
Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson remains a mystery after suffering a concussion early on in his second game. But he did show promise in his debut.
The 2023 draft was expected to produce a plethora of star receivers, but we've yet to see much from the group. First-rounders Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jordan Addison were tied for the best odds among receivers. Their odds lengthened after pedestrian performances through three weeks.
Puka Nacua was drafted in the fifth round by the Rams and has become the NFL's darling, coming out of nowhere to emerge as a top Rookie of the Year candidate. He set the record for most catches in a rookie's first two games (25) and has the second-most receptions and fourth-most yards of all NFL wideouts.
Quentin Johnston - another first-round receiver - isn't on the list above because his odds are so long due to disappointing production. He was +2000 to win before the season and is +7500 now. However, Chargers star receiver Mike Williams - one of Justin Herbert's top options - is out for the season, leaving room for Johnston to earn a greater share of targets. He may not win it, but he has a chance to move down the board.
Defensive Rookie of the Year odds| Player | Current odds | Odds prior to season |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Carter | +150 | +600 |
| Will Anderson Jr. | +600 | +400 |
| Christian Gonzalez | +1000 | +900 |
| Brian Branch | +2200 | +2000 |
| Emmanuel Forbes | +2200 | +1500 |
| Devon Witherspoon | +2500 | +900 |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | +2500 | N/A |
| Lukas Van Ness | +2500 | +1500 |
| Tyree Wilson | +2500 | +800 |
| Will McDonald IV | +2500 | +2500 |
Before the season, we gave defensive tackle Jalen Carter the nod to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at +600. Anyone who listened has tremendous value, as he's currently +150 to win.
The Eagles' standout isn't just one of the best rookie linemen; he's one of the best interior linemen in the entire league. Through three games, Carter has 1.5 sacks, five combined tackles, two forced fumbles, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, 15 pressures (second among all defensive tackles), and six pressures when double-teamed (second in the NFL).
Oh, and all of that has come while playing less than 50% of the teams' snaps as the Eagles slowly ramp up his workload with a deep defensive line unit.
Carter fell to No. 9 overall in April's draft for obvious off-the-field issues. As long as those don't persist, Philadelphia got an absolute steal.
Teams really allowed Jalen Carter to just fall to the #Eagles...pic.twitter.com/OUxozVUbRz
- Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 26, 2023
Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. entered the year as the favorite to win the award at +400. His odds have lengthened mostly due to the stellar play of Carter and partly thanks to limited snaps through the first three games. The No. 3 overall pick has been impressive, though, racking up 13 total tackles and one sack for the Texans.
The only other non-longshot is cornerback Christian Gonzalez at +1000. He's moved to the third favorite after having the fourth-best odds prior to the season, but they have slightly lengthened from +900.
Gonzalez has been a revelation for a sturdy Patriots defense. He has 14 solo tackles, one interception, and has only been targeted 22 times.
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.
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