Edgecombe overtakes Flagg as ROY favorite; what it means for betting, fantasy

4 days ago 10
  • André SnellingsOct 29, 2025, 02:39 PM ET

    Close

      Dr. André Snellings is simply a elder writer for men's and women's phantasy hoops and sports betting astatine ESPN. André has a Ph.D. successful biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN successful 2017 aft a 16-year vocation arsenic a neural engineer, during which clip helium was besides a writer and expert for Rotowire.

One week into the season, VJ Edgecombe (+110) has officially surpassed Cooper Flagg (+115) arsenic the favourite to triumph the NBA's Rookie of the Year, according to ESPN BET.

That is an astonishing turnaround from wherever the play began, with Flagg arsenic the prohibitive favourite and a prop disposable connected ESPN BET of Flagg vs. the field, wherever the tract was getting positive money.

How did we get here? And however apt is this authorities of events to persist implicit the season? Let's instrumentality a person look.

Edgecombe's sizzling start

Edgecombe is disconnected to an astonishing start, averaging 22.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 3.0 3PG and 1.5 SPG done his archetypal 4 games portion helping pb the Philadelphia 76ers to a astonishing 4-0 start. But much than the numbers, his on-court demeanor and sense-of-the-moment person been astonishing for a rookie.

He has taken and made large shots successful crunch time; helium has made immense antiaircraft plays; helium has stepped up to play a whopping 40.3 MPG, including large minutes successful overtimes. Just each astir an unthinkable start.

Flagg's constituent defender experiment

On the flip side, the Mavericks person opened the play with an experiment: Could Flagg play full-time constituent guard?

That was a risk, due to the fact that it's not an perfect usage of Flagg's accomplishment set. Flagg is simply a helping with fantabulous size and strength, physically much of a 3-4 combo guardant than a swingman. He is simply a bully shot handler and passer for his size, and helium has a beardown all-around game, but he'd beryllium much earthy arsenic an off-ball enactment that creates from the elbow than idiosyncratic that should beryllium bringing the shot up and initiating the offense.

That's peculiarly existent due to the fact that the wings successful the NBA thin to beryllium smaller and quicker than Flagg, and tin marque beingness hard for him if he's playing that role. Flagg has already faced fantabulous antiaircraft wings similar Stephon Castle, Scottie Barnes and the combo of Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace, and that has contributed to his dilatory commencement successful the NBA.

How this volition play retired implicit the remainder of the season?

This question is simply a spot much complicated.

Looking person astatine Edgecombe: We person to expect immoderate regression successful his numbers. No 1 plays much than 40 minutes per crippled for an full play successful today's NBA, truthful his minutes volition precise apt rotation back.

In addition, it is precise wide from the ...

Read Entire Article