The BCS Championship Game between Alabama and Clemson is set for this coming Saturday. The winner will not only claim bragging rights over the rest of the country, but will also earn a slot in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Along with the College Football Playoff and the Super Bowl, the 2019 NFL Draft will go down in history as one of the most unpredictable events ever. With the expansion of the playoffs and the ability to settle for championship games, it’s fair to say that the draft had never been more important.
The NFL Draft started a few years back with the whole country holding its breath as 32 teams selected in the order that they were supposed to. As the years went on, people realized how much fun the draft could be. Nowadays, fans can get in the mood for football by tuning in to ESPN and watching some pretty cool clips of the biggest names in football history being picked by their alma mater.
Though the draft is a fun look into the future, it’s important not to forget about the present. While we wait for the 2019 NFL Draft to come and go, let’s take a look at the latest betting odds and see which players are the public’s favorites this week. (Note: All betting odds provided by OddsShark.)
The Favorites
OddsShark’s head honcho Jason Churchill said that the public has a clear favorite this year’s draft class. After checking in with the public, it seems that they are absolutely on board with this statement.
According to OddsShark’s research, 57% of Americans said that they’re rooting for a specific player. As always, Ohio State quarterback Buckeye J.T. Barrett is the overwhelming choice. The former Buckeye is currently ranked sixth in the latest Super Bowl betting, and he’s receiving 38% of all the points placed on him.
Other than Barrett, the players that people seem to like the most are Clemson offensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Nevada offensive lineman Ryan Ramthun, and Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa. All of these players are ranked in the top 10 of our power rankings, and they’ve each been receiving positive feedback from the betting public.
While we wait for the 2019 NFL season to start, let’s take a look at what some of the biggest names in the NFL are saying about this year’s draft class. According to the pundits, this year’s draft class is certainly a solid one. Several big names have declared that they’re confident that one of these players will become the next great outside linebacker or defensive lineman.
Over/Under Votes
The experts’ consensus seems to be that this year’s draft class is a bit underwhelming when it comes to overall value. After checking in with the masses, it seems that they aren’t really buying into this theory. According to OddsShark’s research, 64% of Americans said that they think the 2020 NFL Draft will be one of the best ever. While that may be a bold statement to make, it’s also one of the more rational ones. After all, this year’s draft class does feature several names that are household names and could potentially become top NFL draft picks in the future.
As always, it’s important to keep in mind that these numbers don’t tell the whole story. It’s still highly probable that a top tier 2020 NFL Draft will yield massive dividends for the selected teams. It just may not be all that surprising when you consider that a number of exceptionally talented players will most certainly be available when their teams are on the clock.
In the meantime, let’s take a quick look at some of the notable players in this year’s draft class. As mentioned above, the odds favor J.T. Barrett. The quarterback from Ohio State is considered the best in his class and could very well be the next great QB in the NFL. His accuracy, vision, and leadership make him more than capable of leading the OSU Buckeyes to a Big 10 Championship this year. (Photo by Eric Wagner/Getty Images)
Fantasy Football Update
Every year, fantasy footballers are faced with an absolute nightmare scenario. As the season inches closer, injuries begin to pile up, and it’s beginning to look like there won’t be anyone left on the fantasy football roster at the end of the season. As always, the internet gods have answered our prayers by creating an Injury Bug that ruins the fantasy football seasons of countless players every year.
Though there are ways around the injury bug, it still persists and it’s up to the savvy fantasy football owner to try and figure out a way to beat the odds. One of the best tools at a fantasy football owner’s disposal is the Injury Report. The injury report is a tool that tracks the health of NFL players and projects how many games they’ll miss due to injury. It’s a must-read for any player in fantasy football.
According to the injury report for the 2019 NFL season, there are several players who are currently sidelined for the year. As always, the injury report is a snapshot of the NFL’s health at a certain point in time. It’s not always a perfect indicator of a player’s true health, but it’s a good starting point. For example, Aaron Jones played nine games this year before undergoing season-ending back surgery. He’s now listed as out for the season, but it’s fair to assume that he’ll be back for the 2020 NFL season. (Jones had a breakout season in 2019, rushing for 715 yards and eight touchdowns on 101 carries. He also caught 28 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns. If Jones can stay healthy, he’s projected to be one of the best running backs in the NFL.)
It’s also worth noting that the injury report isn’t the only thing that fantasy footballers need to monitor. As the season inches closer, injuries to players begin to pile up. It’s important to keep an eye out for players whose health isn’t sound. Dealing with injuries throughout the course of the year can be a major headache, and it’s something that most Fantasy Footballers have to deal with.
The Underestimated Players
While the odds may favor J.T. Barrett, the experts’ consensus seems to be that this year’s draft class is actually pretty good when it comes to the overlooked players. According to OddsShark’s research, 39% of Americans said that they didn’t pay much attention to any of the players in this year’s draft class. Though there are multiple standout players who could emerge as superstitions this year, it’s still an underwhelming response.
According to the pundits, this year’s draft class is certainly a solid one. Several big names have declared that they’re confident that one of these players will become the next great outside linebacker or defensive lineman.
Where Do You Fit In The Hierarchy Of NFL Draft Rankings?
Though there isn’t any definitive rankings for the NFL Draft, there are several consensus rankings built around the idea of a player’s value compared to the value of a pick in the draft. One of the best tools at a fantasy football owner’s disposal is the Big Ten Championship Game Power Rankings. The Big Ten Championship Game Power Rankings are a ranking system that measures a player’s value based on projections related to the upcoming 2020 NFL season. The projections take into account each player’s draft rank, expected contribution to their team, and potential fantasy football value. (The projected values are based on a 10-year career average, and this year’s rankings may be different than last year’s rankings.)
According to these rankings, Nick Bosa is the highest-rated defender in the 2020 NFL Draft. Bosa is a standout player who’s recorded 11.5 sacks in his career. The fact that he’s been effective at getting after the quarterback makes him a clear favorite in this year’s draft class. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The next highest-rated defender is Alabama’s J.T. Barrett. Barrett won the Heisman Trophy in 2019 and is one of the best if not the best quarterback in the country. He’s also getting some love from the fantasy football community in the form of ESPN fantasy football drafts. In the past, Barrett’s been ranked as high as second overall in a 12-team fantasy football draft. (Barrett also had a game this year where he threw for four touchdowns and zero interceptions. In that game, he completed 23 of his 30 passes for 322 yards. He also ran for 92 yards and a touchdown. It was a crazy performance that saw him rack up 576 yards of offense in a single game. Though Barrett might be the favorite overall in ESPN fantasy football drafts this year, he’s far from a sure thing. With so much talent at the quarterback position, it’s fair to wonder which team will emerge as the favorite.)