As the 2022 NFL season nears the kickoff of Week 1, the BetFTW crew is offering up our best outright bets for the new year. Here you’ll find picks and analysis for the top awards handed out at the end of each campaign. We previously covered MVP and Coach of the Year. Let’s talk about who will be crowned the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year.
When it comes to 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, you’re really just betting on Christian McCaffrey against the field. If the dynamic playmaker can stay healthy (and productive) in Carolina this season, it’s his award to lose. If he can’t…a few other contenders could easily rip it away.
All odds via Tipico Sportsbook.
Baker Mayfield (+900)
Blake Schuster: A healthy Baker teaming up with a healthy Christian McCaffrey on a rising Panthers squad seems like a pretty safe choice. The Panthers could sneak into the playoff picture and really force voters to pay attention to the QB Cleveland was all too happy to castaway.
J.K. Dobbins (+2000)
Prince J. Grimes: I like Jameis Winston at +500 as a little more of a lock, but I love Dobbins at these odds. As a rookie, he averaged 6.0 yards per carry and rushed for nine touchdowns. That’s the Lamar Jackson effect, and it’s not going away anytime soon. As long as Dobbins returns to the lineup in the first few weeks of the season, he’ll have a monster impact.
Derrick Henry (+350)
Robert Zeglinski: Look, a fave is a fave. Henry broke his foot last year and watched his team take the AFC’s No. 1 seed without him. By the time they lost at home in January, Henry was still a shell of himself. I think the NFL’s Mack Truck is poised to show he’s still got plenty left in the tank as a 300-carry bellcow. And listen – without A.J. Brown in the picture, I’m not sure the Titans ever take the ball out of Henry’s hands. And they don’t have to!
Christian McCaffrey (+700)
Charles Curtis: It’s a narrative award. And it’s McCaffrey who has the story: An awful injury-filled 2021, a lot of questions about him entering the year, and there’s a possibility he lights up the NFL again. If he does? This award is his, with ease.
Cole Huff: There are a lot of players on this award’s watch list (like Marcus Mariota and Baker Mayfield) that aren’t coming back from injuries, which leaves me confused about what exactly they’re coming back from. But that’s beside the point. Christian McCaffrey, if healthy (huge If), will be one of the most productive players in the league. Easy bet to make, in my opinion.
Caroline Darney: I don’t plan on drafting McCaffrey No. 1 in my fantasy league this year, meaning his chances at getting reinjured are much lower. In all seriousness, this is mostly a pick hoping for him to stay healthy because he’s had such bad luck over the past few seasons and he’s poised to be a big contributor to this Panthers offense that really needs him.
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