We asked our Props analyst, Justin Bales, to come up with his best NFL ladder bets for Week 1. If you’re not familiar with this kind of bet, don’t worry, we’ll break it down.
A ladder bet is essentially betting on a prop at multiple lines with the odds getting progressively larger the further up the ladder you go.
We’ve done the research for you here and below we’ll dive into all of the rationale for these NFL ladder bets for Week 1.
Jayden Daniels Passing Yards Ladder
We have very little NFL data on Daniels, who will be starting the first game of his career this weekend. He saw 15 total dropbacks in preseason, throwing for 123 yards without a touchdown or interception. He averaged a healthy 8.2 yards per attempt in those games.
Daniels dominated at LSU last season, averaging nearly 320 passing yards per game. He’s a player known for his rushing ability, but I believe they’re slightly overestimating that at the NFL level. Granted, he’ll find plenty of rushing success, but it isn’t likely to be at the same level as he found in college.
Kliff Kingsbury is the new offensive coordinator in Washington, and they’re going to push the pace in their games. That’s the type of style that will benefit Daniels, and it will give him extra opportunities to find yards in this game.
As if that isn’t reason enough, Daniels and company will face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They struggled against the pass last season, allowing the second-most passing yards (268.7) per game.
I don’t love the current supporting cast around Daniels, but they do have some upside combined with the consistency of Terry McLaurin.
Where to Bet: Jayden Daniels 225+ (+100) passing yards through 275+ (+425) passing yards | Ladder at DraftKings Sportsbook
Bryce Young Rushing Yard Ladder
Young isn’t known for his rushing ability, but he quietly comes with solid scrambling potential every week. He posted 253 yards on 39 carries last season, recording 30+ rushing yards in 3 of his 16 starts as a rookie. He also ran for 185 yards as a senior at Alabama [with sacks counting as negative rushing yards].
This ladder is entirely about the matchup, though. He’ll face off against the New Orleans Saints, who struggled to contain running quarterbacks last season. They allowed the fifth-most rushing yards (23.1) per game to the position.
Young played New Orleans twice last season, posting 74 yards on only 5 carries. He recorded 34+ yards in both of those games. Overall, they were his second and third-highest rushing games of the season.
I don’t expect the Saints’ defense to change much this season, meaning they’ll likely struggle against scrambling quarterbacks again. The odds are shockingly wide for a quarterback who relatively easily beat this number twice as a rookie in 2023.
Where to Bet: Bryce Young 11+ (-115) rushing yards through 28+ (+500) rushing yards | Ladder at DraftKings Sportsbook
Terry McLaurin Receiving Yards Ladder
McLaurin is coming off of the second-worst statistical season of his career. He was only worse in 14 games as a rookie, although 2023 was his worst season on a per-game basis. He ended the season with 79 receptions for 1,002 yards and 4 touchdowns on 132 targets over 17 starts.
This offense is undoubtedly going to put up better numbers than last season. The major additions of Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury will be enough to drastically increase Washington’s offensive output. The question becomes who benefits the most.
McLaurin only played a total of 15 passing snaps in the preseason. He ran a route on each of those 15 snaps. He also recorded 3 receptions for 30 yards on 4 targets.
McLaurin gets a great matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were outlined in the Jayden Daniels ladder. The Bucs gave up the second-most airYAC (297.2) per game in 2023, struggling with both air yards and yards after the catch. McLaurin averaged nearly 110 airYAC per game last season, and he’s in a drastically better position in 2024.
McLaurin should have the edge against any of the Tampa Bay cornerbacks, but specifically, Zyon McCollum, who he’s expected to play nearly half of his snaps against.
We’re getting a great number after McLaurin only broke 100 yards once last season, but I expect him to find drastically more statistical success in the Washington offense in 2024.
Where to Bet: Terry McLaurin 60+ (-120) receiving yards through 110+ (+600) receiving yards | Ladder at DraftKings Sportsbook
