We are through six weeks of the 2019-20 NFL season, and things are already heating up. The past form does not necessarily guarantee domination in sports. If that was the case, betting and fantasy sports would become quite boring indeed.
Yet, it pays to do your homework on the competition and its major performers from the previous seasons. With teams focusing more on offense in recent years, it is quite important to know who the best scorers in the league are going to be.
Here is a quick flashback to the 2018-19 NFL season scoring charts. We will only assess the regular season’s stats, as that would be representative of the entire league (also, more reliable since it stretches for 17 weeks with 16 games).
1. Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
They may have lost to Belichik’s Patriots in last year’s AFC Championships, but the Kansas City Chiefs built up a fearsome offensive reputation nonetheless. And a lot of that hinged on Patrick Mahomes, the young QB who is well on his way to becoming a future superstar.
In his first season as a starter, he became the MVP, reached the All-Pro First Team, and even earned the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. With 315 points (19.6 per game), he comfortable led the league offensive scoring tables for the 2018 regular season. He threw over 5000 yards, had 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in total.
The 24 year is certainly a player to watch, and not just for the 2019-20 season either. So it comes as no surprise that Mahomes is leading the bookies’ charts for quarterback odds this season. He has odds of +450 across the board for everything, from most passing TDs to most passing yards, and even the MVP award in 2019.
2. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons
The 2016 MVP may be getting along in the age charts, but that certainly hasn’t slowed him down. Coming second in the scoring charts behind young Mahomes last season, the 34-year-old has maintained an elite level consistency in recent years.
The numbers speak for themselves – Ryan had 4000 yards and 20 TDs in his last eight seasons, with 5000 yards in two out of the last three. He is just another season away from the 50,000 yards mark, and he currently stands 12th on the all-time list.
Even though the Falcons did not make it to the postseason last year, Ryan remains high on the prediction charts for scoring this season, especially in the department of passing yards.
3. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers QB was the actual leader of the 2018 season table in terms of passing yards. His 5129 yards was a career-best, which he combined with similar performances in pass attempts and passing TDs.
Already a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Steelers since his draft in 2004, Roethlisberger is a seasoned veteran of the league. He easily slots into the top six when it comes to offensive scoring odds for the 2019 season.
4. Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks
The 30-year-old was comfortably in the top ten scorer charts for the 2018 regular season, slotting in at sixth with 212 points and 35 passing TDs. On the back of that performance, he went on to become the highest-paid player in the NFL, signing a $140 million, 5-year contract in 2019.
But when it comes to pre-season’ odds, Wilson was not in the conversation for the top-scoring charts of popular sportsbooks like Betway Sports His odds in passing TDs stood at +3000, which was just outside the top 10. In passing yardage, he was even lower at +8000.
With a blistering start to the new campaign, he has blown all those predictions to the wind, and currently leads the scoring charts with 12 TDs and 1,409 yards. He is widely expected to give Mahomes a fight for the MVP spot this year at this rate.
5. Deshaun Watson – Houston Texans
The 24-year signal-caller was tied with none other than Tom Brady in the 2018 scoring charts. Both had identical figures of 186 points and 31 TDs in total. That performance got him a call to his first-ever Pro Bowl in what was only his second year as an NFL Pro.
Five games into the new season, Deshaun is second only to Russel Wilson in the signal-callers’ scoring charts with 84 points and 14 TDs. All this is despite having to play behind one of the worst offensive lines in the entire NFL, which only proves just how good he is.
Players who deserve an honorable mention
Perhaps the biggest tribute has to go to Andrew Luck, the Indianapolis QB who chose to retire abruptly in 2019 due to recurring injuries. If he had played on, he was a certain contender for the top honors in the offense this year. Drew Brees ranked high on the charts last year, but advancing age seems to have finally caught up with the Saints QB.
Another player pushing well into his 40s is, of course, the legendary Tom Brady. Love him or hate him, the defending Super Bowl champ continues to amaze with his longevity at the highest level of the sport. And he is still in the MVP debates this year despite being well behind Mahomes in the charts. Besides, his Patriots stand in the way of the Chiefs in their route to the Super Bowl. So Brady may very well have the last laugh this season.
