There aren’t a lot of wideouts who have done more in their first three years in the NFL than the Detroit Lions’ budding superstar, Amon-Ra St. Brown. Brown has hauled in 315 catches for 3,588 yards and 21 scores in 49 games with the team. He’s a major reason why Lions fans are so bullish on their team in Michigan sports betting.
The former USC Trojans speed threat put together a career year for the NFC North champs in 2023, with 1,515 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He also racked up an approximate value (via Pro-Football-Reference.com) of 15, which was the third most in the league among wideouts behind CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys (20 AV) and Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill (18).
St. Brown did all this on a salary cap hit of $1,136,313, meaning his 1,539 rushing and receiving yards netted him $738 per yard this year, which was the second-best figure in the league behind Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams, who finished the year at $515.
The third-year Detroit wide receiver had a higher approximate value than Nacua, however, finishing three units ahead of the rookie’s total of 14 AV in 17 games with the Rams this season.
For this study, BetMichigan.com – your source for Michigan sportsbook promos - utilized Pro-Football-Reference.com to find the cap hit, receiving & rushing yards (no returning yards) of every NFL wide receiver during 2023-24 NFL regular season. After doing the math of the $ per point share for each player in the league, we were able to determine the 10 most value-driven WRs from this season. Salary and yards were included for all teams the player was on during the 2023-24 season.
Most Undervalued NFL Wide Receivers
Where St. Brown Ranked
Of all the qualifying NFL wideouts, St. Brown’s $738 per all-purpose yard figure ranked ahead of Nico Collins of the Houston Texans ($1,019 per all-purpose yard), as well as Rashid Shaheed of the New Orleans Saints ($1,151 per all-purpose yard) when it came to being undervalued on the gridiron this season.
Other wideouts who made the list were: Tank Dell of the Texans ($1,251 per all-purpose yard), Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs ($1,263), Demario Douglas of the New England Patriots ($1,301), Josh Downs of the Indianapolis Colts ($1,302), George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers ($1,325) and Dontayvion Wicks of the Green Bay Packers ($1,419).
More importantly for Lions fans, St. Brown is one of two players who made our list to still be playing. The Chiefs’ Rice is the other. Detroit currently is listed as a seven-point and +260 moneyline underdog against the San Francisco 49ers at ESPN Bet Michigan, in the franchise’s first NFC Championship game appearance since 1991.
If St. Brown can keep up his torrid play against the Niners – he so far has 15 catches for 187 yards and a touchdown - then the Lions’ Super Bowl odds grow brighter. The Lions have a shot at pulling off a first for the franchise in its 94-year history; that is, qualify for the Super Bowl after decades of futility in the Motor City.
