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Croucher’s NFL Book Report:
“Dak Prescott (-300) was anointed early for this award but has been playing at a below average level for two months now. The narrative around the Cowboys is - rightfully - that the defense is carrying a flailing offense, and Dak is central to their issues. Meanwhile, Nick Bosa (+300) coming off a torn ACL has returned better than before, as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Despite being double-teamed at a rate higher than any edge rusher in the league, Bosa has 15 sacks and has a legitimate shot to break the franchise single season sack record (19.5). He leads the league in Tackles For Loss and is fourth in Forced Fumbles. His team is surging and we expect his CPOY case will continue to gather momentum as the Niners solidify as a playoff team.”
A Response from EDGE Experts:
Corey Parson (@TheFantasyEXEC)
There is a strong argument to be made that Dak Prescott is not even the best candidate at his position for this award. Joe Burrow (+1000) has Prescott covered in a number of key stats. With two similar QB cases, Nick Bosa may stand out with a more singular and definitive case. Relative to position, Bosa has played at a higher level than either QB.
Bosa’s biggest threat is Prescott because Dak has a higher profile and plays a more glamorous position on one of, if not the most popular team in sports. For those reasons Prescott is still currently the favorite in the market. Should voters see past this, though, Nick Bosa has a significant chance to win assuming both players stay on their current trajectories.
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
As someone who bet Dak Prescott to win Comeback Player of the Year and drafted him to my fantasy team, I am a bit worried about his play of late.
To Jay’s credit, Joe Burrow has been a sleeper for the award all season. The Cowboys could finish as a top-two seed in the NFC whereas Burrow and the Bengals are fighting for their postseason lives the next three weeks. Cincy leads the AFC North in terms of odds to win the division, but I expect the Bengals to be on the outside looking in come January with games remaining against the Ravens, Chiefs and Browns.
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Prescott’s value should stay the same or move from -300 to -400 with a win over the Washington Football Team -- the Cowboys are -10.5 home favorites. While the stats back up the candidacies of both Nick Bosa and Joe Burrow, the injury Prescott dealt with last season and this year makes him a good bet to win the award.
You have your hedge (thanks Jay), but I will sit back and wait one more week before making a play. Prescott and the Cowboys are the No. 2 seed in the NFC with games against Washington, Arizona and Philadelphia left -- there is a chance for the No. 1 seed and that would make it tough to turn Dak Prescott down for Comeback Player of the Year in the NFL.
