NFL Betting Props: Brown Leads 2015 Receiving Yards Leader Odds

Antonio Brown was a surprise leader in NFL receiving yards a year ago for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but high expectations for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the passing game in 2015 have Brown as the favorite to lead the league again at 11-2 at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

Roethlisberger threw for a career-high 4,952 yards last season to tie Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints as NFL co-leaders in that category, and Brown was his top target with a league-high 129 catches and 1,698 yards while scoring 13 touchdowns.

Pittsburgh's offense has obviously shifted dramatically from being run-oriented to more of a downfield passing attack under offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons was on his way to totaling the most receiving yards in the league last year, but he missed one game due to an oblique injury. Jones still finished with a franchise-record 1,593 yards on a career-high 104 receptions, and he is the 13-2 second choice to lead the NFL in receiving yardage this season.

Two more veteran receivers who had to deal with injuries last year look to be good bets in 2015 if they can just stay healthy and play all 16 games.

Calvin Johnson (9-1) of the Detroit Lions missed three games with a sore ankle but still ended up with 1,077 yards. A.J. Green (16-1) of the Cincinnati Bengals dealt with arm, leg and toe injuries in addition to a concussion that caused him to miss the team's playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. Green missed three regular-season games as well, although he also broke the 1,000-yard plateau and finished with 1,041.

Dez Bryant (9-1) of the Dallas Cowboys and Demaryius Thomas (9-1) of the Denver Broncos both agreed to long-term contracts with their respective teams in the offseason and should be considered prime candidates to lead the NFL in receiving yardage, too.

Bryant ranked eighth in the NFL last year with 1,320 yards but scored a league-high 16 touchdowns while Thomas finished second behind Brown in yards and catches with 1,619 and 111. Second-year wide receiver Odell Beckham (9-1) of the New York Giants is also in the mix after totaling 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie last year.