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Draft Night Est. 2022
Dynasty $500 - FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

Young RBs drawing heavy NFL OPOY support

Tue Aug 13 6:37pm ET
Field Level Media

The past 11 NFL Most Valuable Player winners have been quarterbacks, but the Offensive Player of the Year award has gone to another skill position group in each of the past five years.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey took home the honor last season, and he's being offered at +750 by DraftKings to repeat the feat in 2024. That's behind only Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill at +700.

However, those short odds -- and the unpredictable nature of breakout offensive players -- has led to modest support for the two stars. McCaffrey is sixth among all players in receiving 6 percent of the total money wagered on the OPOY at DraftKings, while Hill is ninth with just 4 percent.

The public has been far more supportive of a pair of young running backs who appear primed for breakout campaigns.

Atlanta Falcons second-year back Bijan Robinson and New York Jets third-year back Breece Hall have each drawn 10 percent of the money wagered. Robinson has been backed by 9 percent of all bets at +1800, while Hall has garnered 8 percent of the bets at +1500.

Robinson is coming off a rookie season in which he rushed for 976 yards and added another 487 receiving while totaling eight touchdowns. He is still backed up by veteran Tyler Allgeier, but Robinson will be the clear No. 1 back under new head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson.

After having his rookie season was cut short by a knee injury, Hall returned last season to rush for 994 yards and five touchdowns while adding another 591 yards and four scores as a receiver. His primary backups with the Jets are rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis.

Behind the pair of young backs is Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who has received 8 percent of the total bets at +1200. However, he leads all players by a wide margin with 13 percent of the total bets backing him to win OPOY.

The last wide receiver to do so was Minnesota's Justin Jefferson after the 2022 season. Chase battled through injuries and quarterback issues to catch 100 passes for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

With Joe Burrow back at the helm of the offense, the public is betting on Chase just entering his prime. Through his first three NFL seasons, the former LSU star has averaged 1,239 yards and just under 10 touchdowns.

Just behind Chase is another wide receiver in Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has been backed by 7 percent of the money at +2200. Fifth on the list is new Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley with another 7 percent at +2000, followed by McCaffrey.

The book is offering a slew of props for McCaffrey, who is a +4000 longshot to win MVP honors but is +275 to both lead the NFL in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns as well as lead the league in rushing.

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Player Notes
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Justin Herbert Aug 13 5:30pm CT
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Tyrone Tracy Jr. Aug 13 5:20pm CT
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New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle) was carted off the field at practice on Tuesday. Tracy was ultimately diagnosed with a low-ankle sprain which gives the Giants a sigh of relief. Tracy is currently listed as the Giants' No. 2 running back behind Devin Singletary. The fifth-round pick out of Purdue has been the talk of camp. Eric Gray is in line to see additional work as long as Tracy is out. Tracy has been a rising sleeper candidate and should be monitored moving forward.

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Sam Darnold Aug 13 5:13pm CT
Sam Darnold

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Marquise Brown Aug 13 5:13pm CT
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Marquise Brown Aug 13 2:20pm CT
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Samaje Perine Aug 13 2:20pm CT
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MarShawn Lloyd Aug 13 2:00pm CT
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Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) went down in the team's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns after just a lone carry this weekend, and there isn't a whole lot of clarity regarding a timeline for his hamstring injury. When asked about Lloyd's short-term health on Tuesday, head coach Matt LaFleur responded, "He will not be practicing." When asked about a long-term outlook on Lloyd, LaFleur reiterated, "He will not be practicing." The lack of transparency does dump some cold water on Lloyd's case as a late-round sleeper in fantasy drafts this summer. While there is optimism the third-round pick will be ready to go in time for the regular season, his absence means he's missing out on valuable reps in training camp and exhibition play, while also giving veteran AJ Dillon a chance to take a hold of the RB2 job behind workhorse starter Josh Jacobs.

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Khalil Herbert Aug 13 2:00pm CT
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Brandon Aiyuk Aug 13 1:20pm CT
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The Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers have a trade framework in place for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk if the Niners sign off on the deal. At the moment, San Francisco is waiting to hear back on a long-term contract offer out to Aiyuk that he hasn't yet accepted. On the other hand, Pittsburgh is reportedly in a good place on a contract for Aiyuk. This saga continues to drag and take various twists and turns, considering it sounded like a trade was close to being finalized last week involving either the Cleveland Browns or New England Patriots. If Aiyuk ends up staying put in San Fran after all, he'll remain a borderline WR1/2 fantasy option in a high-powered offense. While the 26-year-old star wideout would certainly see more opportunities as the Steelers' clear-cut alpha target in the event of a trade, Aiyuk would likely sacrifice efficiency in a run-first attack with uncertainty at quarterback.

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Chase Claypool Aug 13 1:13pm CT
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From Dynasty League Fantasy

Taysom Hill Aug 13 1:00pm CT
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Nate Peterman Aug 13 12:51pm CT
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The Las Vegas Raiders signed free-agent quarterback Nathan Peterman to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Peterman rejoins the Raiders after recently being cut in training camp by the New Orleans Saints. The 30-year-old former fifth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2017 spent two years with the Raiders from 2020-21 and went 3-for-5 for 25 yards in just two games played in that span. He has gone 85-for-160 for 712 yards, four touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 15 games (five starts) in his six seasons in the NFL. In Vegas, he'll be competing for the No. 3 role with Anthony Brown Jr. as Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell battle for the starting gig under center to kick off the 2024 regular season in early September.

Alvin Kamara Aug 13 12:50pm CT
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New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamar's contract impasse hasn't affected his preparation for the 2024 season, and the Saints believe he can regain his peak performance. Kamara is still looking for his first 1,000-yard rushing season. "He's really embraced the change in the offense," head coach Dennis Allen said. "Fits his running style." The 29-year-old has two years left on his current deal and includes $22.4 million in non-guaranteed salary in 2025, which is untenable for both sides. Kamara, who was a Pro Bowler in each of his first five seasons in the NFL, averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry in a stale Saints offense last year, but he made up for it in fantasy with 75 receptions for 466 yards in 13 games. There could be more efficiency in a new offense, but Kamara is also at the age when RBs typically start to show signs of decline. He's best targeted as an RB2 in PPR leagues.

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Derek Carr Aug 13 12:40pm CT
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The New Orleans Saints' goal for offensive Klint Kubiak this year is to play faster and simplify things. A big concern, at least on paper, is an inexperienced offensive line. Offensive tackles Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga and left guard Nick Saldiveri have a combined six NFL starts. Quarterback Derek Carr will be asked to make fewer adjustments at the line of scrimmage in order to let him read the defense out and deliver the football accurately. "It's going to be a positive for him," head coach Dennis Allen said. "I'm hoping the ball gets out quicker. Our ability to run the football and play-action off of that is going to help us in terms of offensive line, from a protection standpoint." The 33-year-old played through injuries in 2023 in his first year in New Orleans and didn't show the type of upside he had with the Raiders. A bounce-back could be coming in this new offense, but fantasy managers should treat him as a low-upside, low-end QB2 until further notice.

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Chase Young Aug 13 12:30pm CT
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