The NFL hasn’t had a player win the receiving yardage crown in back-to-back years since Calvin Johnson in 2011 and 2012.
Will Vikings star Justin Jefferson pull it off?
The 23-year-old, who finished with a league-high 1,809 receiving yards a year ago, has been listed as a co-favorite to accumulate the most regular season receiving yards in 2023.
Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase is the other superstar who tops the list, as each is listed with +750 odds to claim the receiving yardage crown.
Jefferson and Chase, former college teammates at LSU, both rocketed to elite status at the start of their careers and have good situations in 2023. Even though Kirk Cousins isn’t an elite quarterback, he is a pocket passer who will pepper Jefferson with targets throughout the season.
Chase has a much better surrounding cast, headlined by Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, but Joe Burrow will make sure Chase gets plenty of opportunities in 2023. While Chase missed multiple games last year due to injury , he finished seventh in the NFL in receiving yards per game and racked up 1,455 receiving yards as a rookie.
There are plenty of other big names on the list, as here are the 11 players with the best odds to claim the receiving yardage title in 2023, per DraftKings on May 24:
- Justin Jefferson +750
- Ja’Marr Chase +750
- Tyreek Hill +900
- Cooper Kupp +1100
- A.J. Brown +1600
- Jaylen Waddle +1800
- Davante Adams +1800
- Stefon Diggs +2000
- Travis Kelce +2500
- Garrett Wilson +2500
- Amon-Ra St. Brown +2500
Hill finished second to Jefferson in receiving yards a year ago, so the inclusion of him and Waddle on this list is not a surprise. Kupp led the NFL in receiving two years ago but missed eight games last year.
Brown, Adams, Diggs and Kelce are perennial Pro Bowlers, while Wilson and St. Brown are two emerging stars who could be in the running.
There is an extensive list of candidates that can be wagered on to win the NFL receiving yardage crown.
The usual suspects led the way in 2022, but that doesn’t mean a darkhorse can’t emerge in 2023. Some of the more intriguing longshot candidates on the list include DeAndre Hopkins at +4000 odds, Calvin Ridley at +6000 and Odell Beckham, Jr. at +13000.
It would be unbelievable for a running back to lead the NFL in receiving, but Christian McCaffrey and Austin Ekeler can be wagered on based on their history of putting up numbers in the aerial game.
Durability is crucial in a race like this. Even if Jefferson, Chase or another one of the contenders dominates throughout the season, a missed game or two will really impact the odds of claiming the title.
Here is a look at the rest of the candidates to win finish with the most receiving yards in the NFL in 2023, according to DraftKings:
- Tee Higgins +2800
- Chris Olave +2800
- CeeDee Lamb +2800
- Terry McLaurin +3000
- Devonta Smith +3000
- Keenan Allen +3500
- Jerry Jeudy +3500
- DK Metcalf +3500
- Amari Cooper +3500
- Tyler Lockett +4000
- Mike Williams +4000
- DeAndre Hopkins +4000
- Christian Watson +4000
- Brandon Aiyuk +4000
- Michael Pittman, Jr. +5000
- Drake London +5000
- Deebo Samuel +5000
- D.J. Moore +5000
- Christian Kirk +5000
- Chris Godwin +5000
- T.J. Hockenson +6000
- Mark Andrews +6000
- Mike Evans +6000
- Jordan Addison +6000
- Calvin Ridley +6000
- Rashod Bateman +8000
- George Pickens +8000
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba +8000
- Diontae Johnson +8000
- Courtland Sutton +8000
- Quentin Johnston +10000
- George Kittle +10000
- Christian McCaffrey +10000
- Zay Flowers +13000
- Odell Beckham, Jr. +13000
- Austin Ekeler +20000
