NFL Preseason Winners and Losers
Exhibition play is finished in the NFL with the preseason over, and a number of players and teams saw their respective outlooks impacted.
Here’s a look at the NFL Preseason winners and losers with odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
NFL Preseason Winners
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
A Week 3 Preseason standout, Fields connected on 14 of 16 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing twice for 11 yards. Unfortunately, the second-year signal caller doesn’t have a bevy of weapons at the skill positions, and the offensive line projects to be among the worst in the NFL.
Still, Fields boasts a dual-threat skillset with the athletic gifts to solidify himself as the franchise quarterback for the Bears with an improved showing in Year 2.
The supporting cast probably isn’t there for him to take a legitimate run at winning the Regular Season MVP Award (+7500), but his passing touchdown total of 18.5 (-112 Over/-112 Under) might be too low – especially if Fields suits up for all 17 games.
Malik Willis, QB, Tennessee Titans
Speaking of dual-threat quarterbacks, Willis was in highlight-reel mode Saturday. He’s definitely short on polish at the NFL level, but his game-breaking potential was on display throughout the preseason.
Once in the discussion to be both the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft and to win the Rookie of the Year this season, Willis will open the year behind starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Clipboard duty should help Willis acclimatize to the pros, and unless Tannehill misses time, it’ll likely be a development year for the rookie.
However, if Willis is called to action early in the season, his +5000 odds to win the Rookie of the Year Award are guaranteed to shrink considerably.
Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
The avenue to a meaningful role for the Texans was wide open for the rookie rusher out of Florida, and Pierce steamrolled for 86 yards and a score on just 11 carries across his two preseason appearances.
He started Thursday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers and has built a strong case to start again in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. Pierce is all the way down to +1400 to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
But just how fruitful will his role be? Houston has the longest odds (+30000) to win the Super Bowl, and the Texans scored the third-fewest points in the NFL last year.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Another rookie rusher, Allgeier scored on the ground and through the air in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars while finishing exhibition play with 17 carries for 68 yards and four receptions for 14 yards.
That comes on the heels of Allgeier rushing for 1,601 yards and 23 TDs for BYU last year.
Additionally, Atlanta only has journeymen veterans Damien Williams and Cordarrelle Patterson challenging Allgeier for playing time.
Allgeier is trading at +7500 at FanDuel to win the Rookie of the Year Award, which is notably higher than other top-rated sportsbooks.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
One of the most significant risers in the Rookie of the Year betting market, Doubs caught eight of 15 targets for 82 yards and two touchdowns through three preseason games and is trading at +1400 to earn Rookie of the Year honors.
For reference, the fourth-round pick in April’s draft was +4000 to win the award at FanDuel on Aug. 4.
However, at best, the Nevada product probably projects to open the season No. 4 on the wide receiver depth chart behind veterans Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb. Additionally, fellow rookie receiver Christan Watson was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft, and he’s going to work his way into the fold in time after an offseason knee procedure held him out for the entire preseason.
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Expected to break training camp as the No. 3 wide receiver for the Steelers, Pickens has impressed and hauled in eight of 12 targets for 84 yards and a touchdown through three preseason games.
He’s tied for the shortest odds (+900) to win the Rookie of the Year Award at FanDuel, and has seen notable line movement in the betting market since being selected in the second round of the 2022 draft.
It’s also worth noting that No. 1 receiver Diontae Johnson sustained a shoulder injury during Sunday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions, while third-year wideout Chase Claypool is coming off a disappointing sophomore showing.
NFL Veterans
By and large, the majority of NFL veterans played sparingly and avoided injury during preseason action. The move from four to three exhibition contests last year helps, and further aligns with most teams opting to ensure they enter Week 1 with their best players healthy.
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was the only noteworthy signal caller projected to miss time with his meniscus injury. Additionally, Dallas Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith’s avulsion fracture in his left knee stands as one of the only other game-changing injuries during preseason play.
Obviously, there are a number of nagging injuries among proven NFLers, but the offseason and preseason carnage we’ve seen in the past seems to be just that: a thing of the past.
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NFL Preseason Losers
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite a solid preseason, Trubisky hasn’t been named the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh’s Week 1 date with the Cincinnati Bengals.
He completed 24 of 34 passing attempts for 283 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception and also rushed twice for 14 yards. However, the Steelers were obviously also impressed with rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, their first-round selection in 2022.
After signing a two-year deal with the organization in March, and the expectation that the starting job was his to lose, Trubisky having not yet being named the No. 1 quarterback is discouraging. After all, Pickett is tied for the shortest odds (+900) to win the Rookie of the Year Award, and Pittsburgh is the only team in the league with a question mark at the position entering the regular season.
Drew Lock, QB, Seattle Seahawks
With Seattle head coach Pete Carroll announcing Geno Smith will start at quarterback Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, Lock has lost a preseason quarterback battle for a second consecutive season.
Lock missing time after testing positive for COVID-19 ahead of Week 2 of the preseason likely had a hand in the decision, as did Smith’s two years of experience in the organization.
Missing out on tossing passes to wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett to start the season has Lock tied for the longest odds (+30000) in the MVP Award betting market – not that the fourth-year signal caller was ever more than a true longshot at any point of the offseason.
Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The sophomore running back has reportedly been nursing a sprained Lisfranc for the past month, so suiting up and handling four carries during Sunday’s preseason finale is definitely an encouraging sign.
Still, Harris was a workhorse last season and finished second in carries (307) and fourth in rushing yards (1,200), and his durability behind a porous offensive line is something to monitor early in 2022.
Furthermore, his player props totals of 1,100.5 rushing yards, 8.5 touchdowns and 1,525.5 yards from scrimmage could be targets for prospective Under bettors. Beginning the season at less than 100 percent following a huge workload as a rookie isn’t an ideal situation.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
As noted, Dallas received a huge blow to the offensive line with Smith set to miss the majority of the regular season, and No. 1 running back Elliott is probably going to be most impacted.
FanDuel adjusted to the news relatively quickly by dropping Elliott’s rushing yards prop total from 850.5 to 800.5. However, the updated total is still well short of his career-low mark of 979 across 15 games during the 2020 campaign.
With that in mind, it begs the question: did the sportsbook overreact, and is this now an opportune time for Over bettors to strike?
Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
The fourth-year running back hasn’t taken the field since the opening drive of Philadelphia's first preseason game and has missed valuable practice time due to a hamstring injury. While the Eagles are likely just being cautious with their projected No. 1 running back, there will be backfield competition for carries and targets from Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell.
Sanders still has plenty of time to be ready for a Week 1 matchup with the Detroit Lions, but actually seeing the field and taking reps with the first-team offense would be a step in the right direction for Philly fans.
Additionally, it’s probably telling of his season-long outlook that there are no touchdowns, rushing yards or yards from scrimmage prop totals available for him at FanDuel, and he’s trading at +30000 to win the Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans
The peaks and valleys for Burks since being drafted 18th overall by the Titans in 2022 have been endless, and Saturday’s preseason game followed the script. Burks exited the contest early with a wrist injury only to return and score his first touchdown of exhibition play.
Burks has consistently missed time throughout the offseason, so while he’s a promising prospect, it also wouldn’t be shocking if he didn’t hit the ground running after watching from the sidelines so much leading into Week 1.
Trading at +1400 to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, Burks is still among the betting favorites in the market, and his athleticism is off the charts. So, while his underwhelming offseason shouldn’t be ignored, FanDuel’s bookmakers also aren’t willing to take any chances with the Arkansas product's odds.
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