3 Best NFL Player Prop Bets for Week 2
Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up in the betting market via the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to measuring a player's potential to produce in NFL DFS on FanDuel.
Here, we're going to focus on the former.
Utilizing our NFL projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as a guide, here are some NFL player props that look appealing for this week.
All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.
NFL Prop Picks for Week 2
Demarcus Robinson Over 41.5 Receiving Yards (-114)
The Matthew Stafford-led Los Angeles Rams have always been one of our favorite offenses. A season ago, the Rams were one of just 10 teams to throw for at least 4,000 total passing yards. Then on Sunday, we saw Stafford gift his receivers with 317 total yards, the second-most in Week 1.
It looks like we should expect another big performance from the offense this weekend, as the Rams will visit the Arizona Cardinals.
Arizona's defensive line, secondary, and linebacker unit all ranked dead-last in the NFL entering the 2024 season, per PFF. According to numberFire's metrics, the Cardinals head into Week 2 with the fourth-worst defense and the fourth-worst pass defense. Just last Sunday, we saw this team surrender 34 points and 362 total yards to the Buffalo Bills.
But with Puka Nacua (knee) out on the IR, who will eat up the yardage past Cooper Kupp and Kyren Williams? I've got my eye on Demarcus Robinson.
Robinson spent the first half of the 2023 season on the bench, but he later bumped Tutu Atwell a spot down the depth chart. In Robinson's final five games of the regular season, he averaged 63.8 receiving yards and 6.8 targets. He notched at least 44 yards in all five of these games, and Los Angeles went 4-1 in this span, with the lone loss coming against the Baltimore Ravens in overtime. Robinson remained an option in the Wild Card game, handling six targets for 44 yards.
Given his usage and the Rams' success with him on the field, it was no surprise to see Robinson log seven targets for 42 yards in their season opener this past Sunday. They've been working him into this offense, even with Nacua and Kupp both healthy.
With Nacua now out, Robinson is the clear-cut WR2 in Matthew Stafford's offense, one that will take on a very weak pass defense this weekend. It's not difficult to make a case for the over here.
J.K. Dobbins Over 55.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
Injuries have limited J.K. Dobbins to only nine games across his last three seasons, but he reminded everyone who he is in his debut with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dobbins stampeded for 135 yards via 10 carries during Sunday's victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. His backfield counterpart, Gus Edwards, logged 11 carries for 26 yards.
There are a few key takeaways from this game that ultimately have me interested in Dobbins' rushing prop for this weekend.
The Chargers may be opting for a split backfield, but Edwards is the guy at the goal line while Dobbins is in charge of eating up yardage. We learned that injuries didn't hinder Dobbins' efficiency. While 13.5 yards per carry is massively unsustainable and was made possible by a 61-yard rush, Dobbins averaged a shining 6.0 yards per carry in his last fully healthy season. It's good to know that he hasn't lost that.
Dobbins is capable of eclipsing 55.5 yards even with a tame volume, and there's reason to believe that volume could spike this Sunday. For starters, it was probably a good move on LAC's part to hand him a manageable workload in his first game back from a serious injury. While the script won't totally flip as we enter Week 2, we could see Dobbins inch his way to a longer workload leash, particularly if he keeps outshining Edwards on the ground.
Even more relevant, the Chargers will take on the Carolina Panthers this weekend. Carolina's third-worst rush D (via numberFire) and fourth-worst defensive line (via PFF) pave a path for Dobbins to do what he does best: work the ground with efficiency.
Plus, the Panthers are a team that will struggle mightily to win games this season. We just saw them get blown out by the New Orleans Saints by a score of 47-10. The Chargers come into this one as the 4.5-point road favorite. I love where this pits Dobbins. Los Angeles could employ an even run-heavier script than they already do while managing a lead over Carolina, but the lead probably won't be meaty enough to allow the Chargers to take out their starters.
Courtland Sutton Anytime Touchdown (+390)
We're getting a little bold here, but I don't think a Courtland Sutton touchdown will be as difficult to come by as the market is suggesting.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will visit the Denver Broncos for a game that features a slate-low 36.5 over/under. However, numberFire's model projects this game to tally 44.4 points. Denver is in for a 17.5-point total with +106 odds on the over, yet numberFire forecasts them to score 21.45 points.
If we are to agree with this belief that the over/under is set too low, then that offers us an opportunity to capitalize on touchdown props at a friendly price. One glance at Sutton's usage and Denver's injury report indicates he may be a value play in the scoring market.
Sutton saw 12 targets and a 40.0% red zone target share in his first game alongside Bo Nix. Devaughn Vele (ribs) and Josh Reynolds (Achilles) combined for 16 targets in that game, though both now sit on Denver's injury report. Vele has not practiced this week while Reynolds missed practice on Wednesday and was a limited participant on Thursday. If either of these players sit, Sutton could be in for double-digit targets once again, especially since the Broncos are the home underdogs in this one.
Yes, Pittsburgh's eighth-ranked pass defense (per numberFire) is intimidating, but Nix and company just met up with a Seattle pass D that ranked third. Plus, Pittsburgh entered the season with a 23rd-ranked secondary (per PFF).
Sutton scored 10 touchdowns a season ago, and we've already seen him get targeted for ample downfield work in Nix's offense. He's the WR1 in an offense that could miss out on either of their second and third options at wideout this weekend. Considering the usage we could see from Sutton this weekend, I'm cool to take a chance on his +390 touchdown odds.
Gear up for NFL season! Customers who bet $5 will get a free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube & YouTube TV! This promo expires September 22nd. See here for full terms and conditions.
Looking for the latest NFL odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the NFL betting options.
Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!
The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.