With the NFL season quickly approaching, let’s take a look at some season leader bets across the league. Even with the departure of Ben Johnson to Chicago, Jared Goff is still in a prime spot to lead the league in passing yards after three years of domination through the air.
While Ja’Marr Chase should continue his domination in the AFC North, Ladd McConkey is a long shot bet as Justin Herbert’s top target to lead the league in receiving yards.
Goff came second to just Joe Burrow in this category with just over 4,600 passing yards. He was also second in 2023 to Tua. While Ben Johnson’s departure affects the odds for this, +1400 is great value for a guy who still has Amon-Ra, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs at his disposal.
The YAC value that the Detroit playcaller brings cannot be undervalued, and that is why Goff is the best bet, even with the fifth-best odds to take the passing yard crown.
Now, I do think Caleb Williams will have a much better campaign this season, but thinking that Ben Johnson will instantly fix Caleb’s negatives is a big ask. Williams had just six interceptions last year, but with Eberflus at the helm and the offense sputtering in many key moments, he failed to put pressure downfield.
His 20 TD to 6 INT ratio might look solid on paper, but I guarantee that Ben Johnson would rather the former No. 1 overall pick put up 30 TD and 13 INT than be limited to check downs in just his second year.
This is a trend we have seen with QBs entering their second year. Most notably, Joe Burrow went from 13 TD:5 INT in his rookie year to 34 TD:14 INT in his sophomore breakout.
While Chase led this category last season, it is extremely difficult to go back-to-back years as the top wideout in the league. The Bengals find themselves in a division with some high-powered offenses that include Baltimore and, potentially, Pittsburgh.
With the Cincy defense still less-than-ideal from a pure talent side, Burrow and Chase will have to connect for another massive year for this team to have any chance at a playoff berth. Leading the wideouts in targets, yards, catches, and touchdowns in 2024, it is safe to say that Ja’Marr Chase is a bad man and can easily do it again in 2025.
Another name to watch is Ladd McConkey of the Chargers, who is +3300 in this category. He finished 9th last season as a rookie while coming alive mid-season for Herbert and LA.