NFL futures: The case for Justin Fields winning Offensive Player of the Year
We've wrapped up our team-by-team previews for all 32 NFL squads, so be sure to look back on those from the past month if you're looking for a team fix.
We turn now to the players-only market, and in particular, a look at some of the individual awards offered to us. We begin with the Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) market, and there are a few solid options here. We headline with a player we're very high on in Chicago quarterback, Justin Fields.
Justin Fields: +2500 to win OPOY (FanDuel)
This isn't the first time we've written about Justin Fields and it's not likely to be the last. While OPOY has most recently been going to the best non-QB with MVP so dominated by the quarterback position, there's room for a passer to still bring home this honor.
Three of the past eight winners of OPOY have been quarterbacks, but all three of those players also took home MVP that season. That isn't to say that Fields has to win MVP to win this award too. Most Valuable Player is far more hinged to team success on top of strong stats, while OPOY is a bit more independent of how well your team has done.
In that vein, in comes Fields. Chicago had the worst record a year ago and seems poised for improvement here, but anything outside of a Wild Card spot may be asking a bit much here in Year Three for Fields.
Fields saw improvement across the board in 2022. His completion percentage finished at 60.4% and he accounted for 3,385 total yards and 25 touchdowns. 1,143 of those yards came on the ground, and it's that element that gives Fields a legitimate chance at this award.
Those 1,143 rushing yards was the second-highest mark ever by a quarterback in a season, second to Lamar Jackson's 1,206 from 2019. Fields became just the third QB all time to rush for over 1,000 yards, and he rushed for 70+ yards in six of his final seven games last year.
That's momentum we expect to continue in 2023, and if he maintains that electrifying rushing style with more improvement as a passer, there's every reason to expect statistics that rival anyone in the league.
Fields has a stronger crop of skill-position players this season with DJ Moore, Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney at wide receiver. That trio is an above-average unit and should help buoy Fields' passing metrics. What we need from Fields here is likely over 5,000 total yards of offense and 35+ touchdowns. It doesn't seem that out of the realm of possibility to see a big third year leap from the QB.
Consider the season Jalen Hurts just had. It's not apples to apples, but Hurts saw a huge leap in his completion percentage (66.5% from 61.3%), passing yardage (3,701 from 3,144) and total touchdowns (35 from 26). Fields needs to clean up his throwing accuracy, but there's plenty of reason for optimism here.
A bet on an award like this is steeped in optimism, so why not hitch your wagon to a player as talented as Fields?
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