As Alabama QB Bryce Young looks to defend his Heisman Trophy in 2022, CJ Stroud tops the odds board as the preseason betting favorite. To determine which players offer value at their early odds, we examine the Heisman Trophy futures markets.

Last season, Young opened with odds of +800 to win the Heisman Trophy. However, that price was long gone after his first game. Following the Alabama Crimson Tide's season-opener, Young was adjusted to +150 for the Heisman Trophy. For the remainder of the season, his price never exceeded +225, and he captured the trophy with 684 of the 875 possible first-place votes.

There are three very clearly defined favorites for the Heisman Trophy this year in Young, Stroud, and Caleb Williams. Stroud was actually a -200 favorite to win the award last season before Ohio State's final regular-season game against Michigan. He ultimately finished fourth.

Our objective in this article is to identify potential value picks in the 2022 Heisman Trophy futures odds.

2022 Heisman Best Bets

Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State (+5000 via PointsBet)

Richardson, QB, Florida (+6000 via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Heisman Trophy Picks: Favorites

Stroud, QB, Ohio State (+275 via PointsBet)

Stroud is someone I would like to include in my Heisman Trophy portfolio, but not at this price. If he was trading at +500, I would be inclined to purchase this before the season began; however, at +275, I do not believe there is much risk in waiting for better odds. Last season, Young was one of the favorites all year, and in Week 11, he was still available at +225.