NFL quarterbacks get most of the credit for their team’s success and most of the blame if it fails to meet expectations. Running backs do most of the heavy lifting to power the ground game and wide receivers are the league’s prima donnas for their spectacular circus catches and scoring plays.
When it comes to which player will top the rest in total receiving yards in the 2019 NFL regular season, there are few names that offer quite a bit of value in their prop bet odds at 5Dimes online sportsbook.
Betting on The Favorite
While he does not necessarily fall into the category of prima donna given his work ethic and hard-nosed style of play, Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Julio Jones definitely belongs at the top of the list in betting odds to post the most receiving yards in 2019 as a +375 favorite.
Jones’ stellar career in Atlanta began in 2011. He caught 54 passes as a rookie for 959 total yards. Other than the 2013 season when he missed 11 games due to injury, Jones has posted at least 1,200 receiving yards in his other six campaigns.
His best effort was in 2015 when he caught 136 passes for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns. He edged out Antonio Brown by 37 yards to top the NFL. He slipped to second the following season with 1,409 receiving yards, and he was second to Brown in 2017 with 1,444 total yards catching the ball. Not to be denied three seasons in a row, Jones posted 1,677 receiving yards last season to regain the No. 1 spot on the list.
Along with incredible consistency from year-to-year, Jones still has one of the most prolific passers in the league throwing him the ball. Veteran quarterback Matt Ryan is a +500 second-favorite to throw for the most yards this season.
Finding the Best Value in The Contenders
Replacing Brown as his biggest nemesis in the league, Jones will have to go head-to-head against the Houston Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins as a +700 second-favorite on the list.
Hopkins was second to Jones last season with 115 receptions for 1,572 total receiving yards. This was the most in his six-year career in Houston. He topped 1,500 yards in 2015 to finish third on the list. After slipping back to just 954 yards in 2016, Hopkins made a run at the receiving title in 2017 with 1,388 total yards. That was ranked fourth overall.
With Deshaun Watson settling in as one of the top passing quarterbacks in the league, there is some substantial value in Hopkins’ betting odds as a possible hedge bet against Jones.
Two of the most interesting contenders on the list that do fall into the prima donna category are Odell Beckham Jr. as a +750 third-favorite and Antonio Brown further down the board at +1600 betting odds.
Beckham is expected to be the new favorite target of Cleveland Browns’ second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield. Brown has taken his talents to the West Coast to play for the Oakland Raiders. Both of these players will be fun to watch in their new surroundings, but I do not see all that much value in their odds to lead the NFL in receiving yards this season.
One player I would add to the list is Kansas City Chiefs’ wide receiver Tyreek Hill. After dodging a bullet for a possible league suspension, he is listed at +1300 odds to lead the league in receiving yards catching balls from 2018 league MVP Patrick Mahomes.
These two hooked up 87 times last season for 1,479 total yards which was fourth on the final list. Bigger and better things could be in the works this year in the Chiefs’ quest to get past New England as the top team in the AFC.
