Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Week 9 player prop: Bijan becomes a beast

By John Dudley | Last updated Nov 5, 2023 9:08 AM ET

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/bet_5_get_200_on_nfl_sunday_thanks_to_the_kevin_hart_draftkings_promo_code/s1_17080_39489507Two NFC teams turning to new quarterbacks are set to meet in Atlanta on Sunday. The visiting Vikings were forced into a change because Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles, opening the door for rookie Jaren Hall to make his first pro start. Conversely, the Falcons are benching an ineffective Desmond Ridder in favor of veteran Taylor Heinicke. With the winner of this game climbing above .500 midway through the season, we’re backing the most explosive player on the field for our top prop:

The bet: Over 3½ receptions for Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (+129 Bally’s)

This year’s eighth overall pick after a stellar junior season at Texas, Robinson caught six passes in his debut and reached four receptions in five of his first six games. His recent downturn in receiving production can be blamed on missing most of Week 7 with an illness and Ridder’s limitations as a passer.

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Now Robinson stands to benefit greatly from the insertion of Heinicke, who has a rich history of throwing to running backs. When he made his only start for Carolina in 2018, Heinicke targeted Christian McCaffrey 13 times and connected on 12 of them. And over the last two seasons with Washington, Antonio Gibson and JD McKissic combined to average better than five receptions per game when one or both were active.

Because the Vikings’ stout run defense allows the sixth-lowest yards per carry, opponents often involve their backs as receivers. In last week’s showdown with the Packers, for instance, both AJ Dillon (five catches) and Aaron Jones (four) cleared this number.

Our betting week kicked off with an easy plus-money winner on Thursday night, and we like Robinson to keep the gravy train rolling.

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John Dudley

A longtime writer and sports bettor, John Dudley has been dubbed the “King of Props” for his proficiency with proposition wagers. Research is the key that routinely unlocks success, and his selections are always backed by sound reasoning. John can be followed on Twitter @JohnDudley85

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