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NFL futures, odds: Oddsmakers took notice of Saquon Barkley's Week 1 performance

pete truszkowski
·4 min read
7

The New York Giants used the second overall pick to draft Saquon Barkley in the 2018 NFL draft. With Eli Manning nearing the end of his career, they passed on the opportunity to draft a quarterback because they felt Barkley was a generational talent at the running back position. His college career at Penn State certainly supported that hypothesis.

The first few seasons were good for Barkley. He eclipsed 1000 rushing yards in both of his first two seasons. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year for his 2018 season. However, the Giants weren't very good. He was one of the few exciting parts of a bad team. Unfortunately, the last few seasons haven't been good to either Barkley or the Giants. He played just two games in 2020 due to injury. Last season, he missed a few games and when he did play, he was woefully ineffective.

The talent has always been there, but it's been hard to trust Barkley due to his health and the team he plays for. However, he certainly flashed what he's capable of in New York's win over Tennessee on Sunday. Barkley rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown. He added another 30 yards through the air on six receptions. He converted a two-point attempt on a tremendous individual effort.

Last season, Barkley had just one game where he rushed for over 100 yards. In his first game of the season this year, he went wild. He was a focal point of a new offense with an aggressive, offensive-minded head coach. Oddsmakers certainly took notice of Barkley's season debut.

Saquon's now the favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year

It's Week 1, so talking about end-of-season awards at this point is probably not necessary. However, Saquon Barkley didn't even have odds available to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year during the offseason. He was off the board. After Week 1, he's now the betting favorite to win the award at +500.

NASHVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 11: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants carries the ball during an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Saquon Barkley is now the betting favorite to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Barkley is coming off a year where he struggled on the field, finishing with under 600 yards over 13 games. A lot of those struggles probably had to do with the fact he played through an ankle injury. In 2020, Barkley missed all but two games with a torn ACL. It's been a rough few years for Barkley, so he's certainly got the narrative to win the award.

Derrick Henry entered the season as the betting favorite to win the award. He now has the third best odds at +650. Saints' quarterback Jameis Winston has the second best odds at +550.

Offensive Player of the Year odds move as well

Saquon Barkley opened the season with 80-to-1 odds to win Offensive Player of the Year. He was an extreme long shot to win the award, but after just one week, that has changed.

Saquon is now just 16-to-1 to win the award this season. Those are the fifth-best odds in the league behind only Justin Jefferson, Jonathan Taylor, Ja'Marr Chase and Cooper Kupp. Barkley has better odds than players like Davante Adams, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry and Deebo Samuel.

Barkley certainly has the talent to win the award, but this feels a little too high, a little too quickly for Barkley. With that being said, bettors who got Barkley at 80-to-1 last week are certainly feeling good.

What other awards have changed?

Let's take a look at the odds for the other awards in the league after Week 1: