Puka Nacua Vaults to Top Three Favorite in NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds
- Puka Nacua’s record-breaking Week 2 performance has him as one of the new favorites for Offensive Rookie of the Year
- The Rams wideout has 25 catches through his first two NFL games
- Does he offer value to win the award in the OROY odds?
The Los Angeles Rams might’ve lost to the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, but rookie wideout Puka Nacua continued his torrid start to his NFL career. The former BYU star reeled in 15 catches for 147 yards and already has 25 receptions in just two contests. Truly spectacular. As a result, Nacua has shot into the top three in the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds.
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson (Falcons) | +175 |
| Anthony Richardson (Colts) | +225 |
| Puka Nacua (Rams) | +700 |
| CJ Stroud (Texans) | +1200 |
| Zay Flowers (Ravens) | +1500 |
| Bryce Young (Texans) | +1500 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions) | +1500 |
| Jordan Addison (Vikings) | +1500 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks) | +2200 |
| Quentin Johnson (Chargers) | +2500 |
| Dalton Kincaid (Bills) | +3000 |
| Rashee Rice (Chiefs) | +3000 |
| Jalin Hyatt (Giants) | +5000 |
| Jonathan Mingo (Panthers) | +5000 |
| Roschon Johnson (Bears) | +5000 |
| Tyjae Spears (Titans) | +5000 |
| De’Von Achane (Dolphins) | +5000 |
| Zach Charbonnet (Seahawks) | +6000 |
| Tank Bigsby (Jaguars) | +7000 |
| Cedric Tillman (Browns) | +7500 |
Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson is still the favorite to win the award +175 odds, followed by Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson, who has already showcased his dynamic skillset through the first two games.
As for Nacua, he’s now at +700 after starting as a +15000 longshot before the season. He skyrocketed to +4000 following a mind-blowing performance against the Seahawks.
Odds as of September 18th at DraftKings. Grab your share of the latest DraftKings promo to make all your NFL futures and MNF picks this week.
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Historic Start for Nacua
With star WR Cooper Kupp currently on the IR, the Rams needed someone to step up in his place and prove to be a valuable weapon for Matthew Stafford. Nacua has been that man. The fifth-round pick showed what he can do in a big win over the Seahawks in Week 1, registering 10 catches for 119 yards to lead the way for Los Angeles.
PUKA NACUA MAKES HISTORY🥇
Rams WR has most catches by a player in his first two games 👏 pic.twitter.com/DOvLizVoow
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 17, 2023
But then on Sunday, he went up against a stout Niners defense and put up even bigger numbers with 15 grabs on 20 targets. In fact, that made NFL history. Nacua is the first rookie ever to have that many receptions in a single game. He’s also the first rookie to hit double-digits in catches in each of his first two NFL appearances.
With Kupp out until Week 4 at the very least, the opportunities will keep on coming for Nacua. And when the veteran does return, Stafford is going to have two absolute weapons out wide by the looks of it.
Robinson, Richardson Still Deserving Favorites
Robinson just had a monster game Sunday, rushing for 124 yards on 19 carries (6.5 yards average) including four receptions for 48 yards as well. The former Texas Longhorn was the first running back taken in the draft and has certainly lived up to the hype thus far for Atlanta as a Swiss Army knife. He got the most touches of any Falcons RB in Week 2 and that’ll probably continue to be the case. Bijan is that good.
Oh my good god Bijan Robinson.
pic.twitter.com/SkW5q9r6B4— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 17, 2023
As for Richardson, he exited early against CJ Stroud and the Texans with a concussion. But before the QB departed, he already had a pair of scores with his legs and completed 6 of 10 passes for 56 yards, playing an integral part in the victory. Richardson has an absolute cannon and can really run the football.
Turnovers may be an issue as the season rolls on, but for the time being, the ex-Florida signal-caller is showing a lot of promise. We’ll see if he clears concussion protocol for Week 3 vs. Baltimore.
Offensive Rookie of the Year Best Bet
I just can’t waver from Bijan at the moment. He is such a beast and hasn’t had any issues adjusting to the next level after a monster career at Texas. Robinson is still the best bet. However, I also love the idea of putting some money down on Nacua in the OROY odds. This kid is flourishing in the Rams offense and it’s clear Sean McVay and Co. have boatloads of confidence in him. It’s worth splashing some cash on both.
OROY Picks: Bijan Robinson (+175), Puka Nacua (+700)
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Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
