Outside of working on fantasy football research, finding valuable season long player futures is my favorite thing to do in the months before the start of the season. The one thing to keep in mind when placing these futures, is that you must find ones that have tremendous upside and low risk.
Sure, it would be easy to place a big ticket on the top RB or WR to lead the league in yards, but with the threat of injury to anyone; this typically is not the best practice. Instead, we search to find longshots that we can sprinkle a bit here or there, that have tremendous upsides and could pay large on a small wager.
We will dive into a couple of options we like in a few categories with a brief synopsis on why we like them. As always, use this as a piece of your research, do not just blindly follow. At the end the day, these plays are meant to be fun and give us rooting interest all year with the potential of a nice payout.
Most Passing Yards
Patrick Mahomes took home this honor last year, and it's definitely tough to bet against him. However, we like the value that 3 other gunslingers present in this season long QB prop.
Best Bet: Justin Herbert +700
Herbert had what most considered a “down year.” He finished 2nd to Mahomes with 4,739 and did most of that work with a beat-up receiving corp.
They are all back and healthy this season. Combine that with the fact that Kellen Moore has been brought in to call the plays, we believe Herbert could be in for a huge season.
Long Shot: Kirk Cousins +1100
Kirk Cousins is fighting for a contract extension. Things were a bit up and down last season in his 1st year under new head coach Kevin O’Connell.
There were flashes that proved his system can create one of the most dangerous aerial attacks. Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook are no longer on the roster but that may not be a terrible thing. Thielen was aging and could not stretch the defense much anyways.
Long Shot: Trevor Lawrence +1600
Trevor Lawrence went from 3,600 yards in 2021 to 4,100 in 2022. We like how he took a step forward in his 2nd year and believe his 3rd could be even more productive. The price is right too at 16to 1.
Most Rushing Yards
Josh Jacobs won the rushing title last year, but he's holding out for a better deal and didn't report to training camp. Now that Saquon Barkley has signed, it'll be interesting to see how that affects Jacobs.
Even though the NFL continues to de-value the RB position, we've found 3 running backs to invest in this season. Check them out!
Best Bet: Derrick Henry +900
Henry bounced back nicely last season after missing half of the previous season. He finished 2nd in the league with just over 1500 yards.
He did miss 1 game last season and would have needed just 120 yards to overtake Jacobs at #1. The Titans will once again be relying heavily on Henry to carry the offense and he should see a healthy amount of carries in order to get the top spot back.
Long Shot: Tony Pollard +2000
Tony Pollard’s era in Dallas has officially begun. The Cowboys released Zeke over the offseason, making Pollard the featured back in an explosive offense.
He surpassed the 1000-yard mark on limited carries last year and if you combined that with the yardage Zeke gained, he would have finished with 1880 yards. We doubt he reaches that number, but the rushing title will be a possibility.
Long Shot: Justin Fields +3000
We are taking a stab on Fields as a fun play with a big number at 30 to 1. Could he become the 1st QB to lead the league in rushing?
Probably not but he did have the 2nd most in a season by a QB last year. With not much added to the offense, the Bears may be relying on his legs once again this season.
Most Receiving Yards
Justin Jefferson racked up the most receiving yards during the 2022-23 season, and he remains one of the most dominant wideouts in the league.
The former LSU star is the favorite to repeat in 2023-24, as his odds are +500 over at FanDuel. However, we like 3 guys at longer odds for this season.
Best Bet: Tyreek Hill +1100
Tyreek Hill finished 2nd last season during a year where he dealt with some nagging injuries and with a QB that missed a good amount of time.
Tua is back and will utilize Hill again as the deep threat and after finishing just 90 yards short of the title last season, Hill could be in line to prove to all that he is the best in the league again.
Long Shot: Amon-Ra St. Brown +3000
Amon-Ra St. Brown had a strong season in his 2nd year and finished with 200 more yards than his rookie campaign. He built a good rapport with Jared Goff and could be in line for another monster season.
Long Shot: CeeDee Lamb +2500
While Kellen Moore left for the Chargers, Dak Prescott is still behind center for the Cowboys. Lamb has steadily increased his yardage total each of his 3 years in the league.
He finished 6th last season but was over 500 yards short of Jefferson for the top spot. That being said, 25 to 1 is too nice of a price to pass up.
