Best Slot Receiver Player Prop Bets for NFL Divisional Round
What kind of performances can we expect during the NFL divisional round from Quez Watkins, Richie James Jr., and Tyler Boyd? Follow along as our NFL betting expert, Nick Galaida, breaks down his three favorite NFL prop bets for the NFL divisional round
Each week, there is sneaky value to be found on slot receivers, who are often overlooked in the betting market for one of two reasons – 1) they are not a household name; 2) often, their production is seemingly volatile, which appears to make them untrustworthy.
However, a significant reason for slot receivers’ ostensibly unreliable production is because many of these players are strictly matchup-dependent producers. In the debut of this article, we will be breaking down three overlooked receivers for this weekend’s divisional round NFL action. Below are our recommendations for this Saturday and Sunday.
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Slot Receivers – NFL Divisional Round Player Props
- Quez Watkins o1.5 receptions
- Richie James Jr. o4.5 receptions
- Tyler Boyd u38.5 receiving yards
Quez Watkins o1.5 receptions (-156), FanDuel
According to props.cash, Quez Watkins has only eclipsed this market number in 6-of-17 games played this season, and has five separate games in which he failed to record a single catch. Yet, he is likely to have a role in the offense on Saturday against the New York Giants, with Darnay Holmes being his primary defender. This year, Holmes has played 497 snaps in the slot, with Fabian Moreau and Adoree’ Jackson playing almost exclusively out-wide. Per Pro Football Focus, Holmes ranks 110th out of 123 eligible cornerbacks this season in coverage grade. Watkins has value in this spot. Bettors looking to avoid the juice on his receptions prop can target his receiving yards at Caesars sportsbook.
Richie James Jr. o4.5 receptions (+114), FanDuel
Since Week 14, Richie James Jr. has been one of New York’s most featured pass-catchers. In his last five games played, James Jr. has been targeted 38 times, hauling-in 30 receptions for 300 receiving yards. In the wild-card round James Jr. had only four catches, but he was wide open across the middle of the field for one play in the second half that resulted in no-gain due to the pass being tipped at the line of scrimmage. On Saturday, the Philadelphia Eagles will be without their starting slot cornerback Avonte Maddox. Maddox finished the year ranked significantly better than league average defending the slot, per Pro Football Focus. In his place, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will assume the majority of the responsibilities in that role. He graded 47th out of 88 safeties in coverage grade during the regular season.
Tyler Boyd u38.5 receiving yards (-114), FanDuel
Facing talented slot cornerbacks this season, Tyler Boyd has been underwhelming. In Week 8 against Greg Newsome II, Boyd had only three receptions on five targets for 38 receiving yards. Against Cameron Sutton in Week 11, Boyd had only two catches on seven targets for 42 receiving yards. In the wild-card round against Kyle Hamilton, Boyd had only three catches on three targets for 26 receiving yards. On Sunday, Boyd will have a difficult matchup with Taron Johnson, who finished the regular season ranked 32nd out of 123 cornerbacks in coverage grade. Expect Boyd to have a low output in this spot – take the under.
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