Saints' Michael Thomas clear betting favorite to lead NFL in receiving yards again this season
New Orleans' Michael Thomas is +500 at William Hill sportsbook to lead the NFL in receiving yards again.
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As prolific a passer as Drew Brees has been since joining the New Orleans Saints before the 2006 season, one might have thought at least one Saint would have led the NFL in receiving yards entering last year. That was not the case, but Michael Thomas became the first with a monster 2019 campaign and is the +500 clear-cut favorite on the William Hill moneyline odds to lead again this year. All teams must play 16 regular-season games for this prop to stay active, and that's far from a sure thing in a pandemic.
How many teams wish they could redo the 2016 NFL Draft. Somehow, Thomas lasted until the 47th overall pick out of Ohio State. The following receivers were all chosen before him: Corey Coleman (No. 15 to Browns), Will Fuller (No. 21 to Houston), Josh Doctson (No. 22 to Washington), Laquon Treadwell (No. 23 to Minnesota) and Sterling Shepard (No. 40 to NY Giants). Coleman, Doctson and Treadwell have been busts. Fuller and Shepard have been solid pros but nothing close to Thomas.
The Saints handed Thomas a mammoth contract extension ahead of last season, and he proved worth it by being named first-team All-Pro for the second year in a row. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder caught an NFL-record 149 passes for a team-record 1,725 yards, the seventh-highest total in league history. His nine touchdown catches tied for the team lead.
In his four seasons, Thomas has 470 receptions for 5,512 yards and 32 touchdowns, the most receptions and receiving yards by a player in NFL history in his first four seasons.
The last player to lead the NFL in receiving yards in back-to-back seasons was former Detroit Lions great Calvin Johnson in 2011-12. In that latter season, he set a league record with 1,964 yards.
New Orleans opens the season Sept. 13 at home vs. Tampa Bay with the Saints currently 4-point favorites on the NFL odds.
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