- Calvin Ridley has +750 odds to lead the NFL in receptions after the departure of Julio Jones.
- Justin Jefferson sits at +850 odds after a star turn in his rookie year saw him rack up 1400 receiving yards.
- Stefon Diggs, traded for Jefferson, led the league last year, and also sits at +850 odds.
ATLANTA - Receiving yards are an important statistic to NFL betting fans and to those who like playing fantasy football.
Odds for the most receiving yards in the 2021 season could be instructive among the top contenders.
NFL 2021 - Most Receiving Yards
- Calvin Ridley +750
- Justin Jefferson +850
- Stefon Diggs +850
- Tyreek Hill +1000
- DeAndre Hopkins +1000
- DK Metcalf +1200
- Travis Kelce +1200
- Davante Adams +1500
- A.J. Brown +1500
- Michael Thomas +1800
- D.J. Moore (CAR) +1800
Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons, +750
Calvin Ridley was already an elite receiver in previous years. While injuries have limited him to 13 and 15 games in the previous two seasons, when he’s played, he’s been elite, and he’s played most of the time.
Ridley exists on a team with a quarterback who routinely airs the ball out, and will be stepping into a primary receiving role in the absence of Julio Jones, now on the Tennessee Titans.
In Ridley’s 8 career games without Julio on the field, he’s excelled, putting up 856 yards on 58 catches and scoring three touchdowns.
That’s an average of 107 yards per game, 7.25 catches per game, and 0.375 touchdowns per game - an elite statline by any measure.
Look for Ridley, as the only elite receiver on the team (with the possible exception of rookie TE Kyle Pitts) to make a big splash as a true top end receiver in 2021.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings, +850
Jefferson was a breakout player in 2020, his rookie season. He performed like one of the best players in the entire league, although he lost out on Offensive Rookie Of The Year honors to Justin Herbert.
In his NFL rookie campaign, he put up 1400 receiving yards, and was named as a second team All-Pro, in a move that hopefully assuaged the sting of losing out on OROY.
These mind boggling numbers came despite only seeing three targets in Week 1 and 2, before the Vikings truly knew what they had their hands on in Jefferson.
After that, it was off to the races, as Jefferson put up 7 100+ yard games in the remainder of the season.
In his sophomore campaign, expectations are high, but it seems he could very reasonably reach them - especially with receiving rival Adam Thielen on the wrong side of 30 this year.
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills, +850
Diggs led the league in receiving yards in 2020, and will look to repeat that in 2021 as his Buffalo Bills look to recover from a dismantling at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Diggs has always been an elite receiver, but his partnership with Josh Allen brought him to new heights. The question is whether Allen will be able to match last year’s level of performance in 2021. If he can, Diggs is a solid bet at online gambling sites.
The last man to lead the league in receiving yards in back to back years was Calvin Johnson. It would take a special season from Diggs and Allen to match Megatron’s feat.