Did anyone take Michael Thomas or Tyreek Hill at 50-1 a couple of weeks ago? You got some solid value if you did …
With the field of teams down to four, quarterbacks and other star players have all seen substantial rises. More options are being added to the list, but we won’t see the full smorgasbord of eclectic longshot options for each team until next week.
For example, run-of-the-mill Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy was a 200-1 shot last year. Anything can happen, I suppose.
Here are the latest odds:
Leading the way, of course, are the four quarterbacks. Each one has seen his odds improve by a similar amount and the two that remain following next Sunday’s games will surely improve even more.
Three of the four teams have at least one new running back added to the list, with the Rams being the exception. No love for C.J. Anderson? What gives?
Damien Williams of the Chiefs had a big divisional round with nearly 130 yards on the ground, which has forced the oddsmakers to put him at the same price as star tight end Travis Kelce.
Patriots pass-catching back James White is also at +3300. He caught 15 (!) passes for 97 yards vs. the Chargers and, as some of you may remember, caught 14 passes and scored three touchdowns in the Pats’ comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl 51.
Still noticeably absent from the list is Rob Gronkowski. In addition to being one of the seldom-seen tight end MVP options before each season, Gronk was always an early candidate for this award, too.
However, he’s been nearly invisible in the passing game recently. Including the game vs. the Chargers, he’s caught five passes in his past four games for 70 yards and zero touchdowns.
Both Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram are on the list now, too. When they’re both healthy, it’s tough to know which player is going to have the better game, though Kamara is more versatile and has a higher ceiling.
With J.J. Watt out of the picture, Aaron Donald is the only defensive player remaining on the list. Ten defensive players have won the Super Bowl MVP, with Von Miller being the most recent in Super Bowl 50.
Donald would be just the second defensive tackle in history to win the award along with Randy White, who was a co-MVP with fellow Cowboys defensive end Harvey Martin in Super Bowl 12.
Check back next week for an updated list.