Buying Anthony Richardson Hype One Of AFC South Futures Bets To Make
Richardson on Tuesday was named Indy's starting quarterback
With the preseason in full effect around the NFL, let's examine three futures bets to make on one of the most intriguing divisions in the NFL: the AFC South.
All prices listed courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Anthony Richardson Offensive Rookie Of The Year at +900
The Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday named Richardson the team's starting quarterback entering the 2023 campaign. Richardson was competing with Gardner Minshew and Sam Ehlinger for the job and won out after the Indy's first preseason game. Richardson also already won the most impressive physique award, with the Florida product measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds. Being that big while also being able to run a 4.43 40-yard dash is an NFL cheat code. Assuming the Colts can patch things up with star running back Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis will have one of the best running games in the league. With Richardson's running ability to go alongside his dynamic arm, paired with the menial AFC South competition, he should make an immediate impact on that fast-track turf of Lucas Oil Stadium.
Jacksonville Jaguars AFC South winner at -155
I'm still on cloud nine after taking the Jaguars on the moneyline against the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round and hitting the bet after a thrilling 27-point comeback. Eventually, they would go on to lose to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round, but I had at least seen enough to know that the future is bright in Duval County. This season, head coach Doug Pederson will be going into his second year at the helm, quarterback Trevor Lawrence will be entering his third year as a pro and star running back Travis Etienne is a full year removed from a foot injury that sidelined him for the 2021 season. The Jaguars also added a valuable weapon in wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
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Will Anderson Jr. Defensive Rookie Of The Year at +400
In college, to call Anderson a standout would be an understatement. From a numbers standpoint, Anderson amassed an eye-popping 58.5 tackles for loss with 34.5 quarterback sacks in his collegiate career. Anderson also won the Bronko Nagurski Award twice, two SEC Defensive Player Of The Year Awards, made the All-American Team twice and was a critical piece of a national championship Alabama team. With Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans being a defensive mind, Anderson will be featured heavily on a defense that ranked third-worst in the entire NFL last season. Another thing to consider is the linebacker position has won this award more frequently than any other position on the defensive side of the ball. Since 2011, five different linebackers won Defensive Rookie Of The Year, with the most recent being Cowboys star Micah Parsons in 2021. With rookie QB CJ Stroud improving the outlook on the offensive side, Anderson will improve the defense immensely, as well.
