It’s a tight race for NFL Offensive Player of the Year with just two weeks remaining in the season. Justin Jefferson is on pace for a record-breaking campaign. But then again, so is Tyreek Hill.
Jalen Hurts has set the league ablaze, but will a recent injury hurt his chances?
Here are the current odds and analysis from NFL betting sites for the OPOY award.
Leaders of the pack
Justin Jefferson
Before the season started, new head coach Kevin O’Connell said he planned to use Justin Jefferson the same way he used Cooper Kupp in Los Angeles. He wasn’t lying.
Kupp came up just short of breaking Calvin Johnson’s all-time single-season receiving record (1,964) last year when he put up 1,947 yards. He also won the NFL OPOY award. As remarkable as Kupp’s season was, Jefferson might top it this year.
The second-year stud out of LSU is at 1,756 yards through Week 16, and a 2,000-yard season looks very much in reach. JJ is averaging 117.1 yards per game, which projects just short.
Breaking the record would make it nearly impossible for voters not to hand him the award.
Tyreek Hill
When Tyreek Hill signed a mammoth deal in Miami, the consensus around football was that his production would fall off. He’d now be playing with Tua Tagovailoa, not Patrick Mahomes. A drop-off was inevitable. That didn’t happen.
The Cheetah is having the best year of his career and is right up there with Jefferson in receiving yards. Heading into Week 17, Hill has 1,632 yards – already a career-high. Hill currently trails Jefferson by 124 receiving yards, with a slightly lower average of 108.8 YPG.
His best two-game stretch this year saw him rack up 331 yards. If he can put up something similar in the final two contests, there’s a chance he could outpace Jefferson. We like the value right now.
Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts has had an incredible year. It’s rare to see a quarterback make such a massive leap in one year, but that’s what’s happened in Philly. Hurts’ unique dual-threat attack has made him one of the league’s most exciting (and feared) QBs.
The third-year pro has 35 total touchdowns to just five interceptions this season. He’s thrown for 3,472 yards and has rushed for another 747. Unfortunately, a recent shoulder sprain sidelined Hurts for Week 16.
It’s yet to be determined how cautious the Eagles will be with the QB, but there’s a chance they rest him until the playoffs. Until the injury, Hurts was the favorite at most NFL betting sites to win the league’s MVP.
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What about Patrick Mahomes?
With Hurts on the bench, now might be the time to invest in Mahomes. The KC QB is now the consensus favorite to win the MVP, but it’s also possible he will take the OPOY.
Out of the 49 Offensive Player of the Year awards, 28 winners were also the MVP in the same season.
