Zach Thompson provides the top NFL teams and players that won users the most money on DraftKings Sportsbook in 2023.
2023 was an amazing sports year from many perspectives, and DraftKings Sportsbook helped NFL fans celebrate all year long with multiple props, parlays and picks that paid out big prizes.
While the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII early in 2023, both teams struggled a bit as the year wound down. The 2023 regular season contained plenty of surprises and one of the craziest touchdown parlays that paid out almost $500,000 for a bet of just $5.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the teams and players that won users the most money over the past year.
As we dive in, just a quick reminder that the term “handle” refers to the amount of money wagered by sports bettors and “bets” is the number of bets placed. For example, three bets of $1 each would increase the handle by $3 and bets by three, but a single $25 bet would increase the handle $25 and bets by only one.
Here’s a look at the most bet teams in 2023:
The Chiefs got the most bets of the year, followed by the Lions and 49ers. Since those teams were a combined 33-15 SU/28-19-1 in this regular season and the Chiefs won the Championship, it makes sense that those teams got the most action. It is interesting to note that the Eagles actually rank No. 1 in handle but slip to No. 4 in bets. That indicates that the money backing the Eagles came in larger bets on average than those bets placed on the Chiefs, Lions and 49ers.
As most bettors know, you can not only pick teams on DraftKings SportsBook, but you can also select specific players in a wide variety of props. Here are 2023’s most bet players:
Christian McCaffrey’s huge season with the 49ers made him the most popular pick and gave him the biggest handle of all players in 2023. CMC scored a touchdown in a record-tying 17 straight games, so the “Anytime Touchdown” bet was a strong play for most of the season. Even after the streak ended against Jacksonville, he scored in five of his next six games while also racking up plenty of yardage to deliver on many of his props both as a rusher and receiver. Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Jalen Hurts were also in the top four of most bet players and biggest handle.
While those were the teams and players that got the most action, here are the teams and players that won their bettors the most money:
The Ravens take the top spot in the Moneymakers ranking after their impressive run to the top seed in the AFC. They are 13-3 SU/11-5 ATS this season and finished 2023 by getting huge wins over the 49ers and Dolphins in back-to-back weeks. The Raiders are a surprise team at No. 2, but they went 7-9 SU/9-6-1 ATS on the season. It’s also interesting to note that neither the Chiefs or Eagles are in the top five for moneymakers.
On the players’ side, CMC is also missing from the list of moneymakers but another running back takes the top spot in Derrick Henry. Henry scored multiple touchdowns in three straight weeks in late November and early December, and his multi-touchdown props may have helped boost him into that top spot. McCaffrey’s teammate Deebo Samuel is just behind Henry and his predecessor in San Francisco, Raheem Mostert also cracked the top five NFL moneymakers of 2023.
Mostert’s Dolphins were also involved in the Biggest Live Money Upset of the year in the NFL. Unfortunately for them, though, they were on the wrong side of a furious rally by the Titans on Dec 11 that saw Tennessee end up winning despite the ML Odds against them reaching +4000. Here are the biggest upsets of the year by sport:
Before we finish on a positive note, let’s take a look at the teams and players who lost users the most money on DraftKings Sportsbook in 2023:
Hopefully, there’s no bad blood between bettors and Travis Kelce, and they’re ready to begin again in 2024. Apparently, there were a few times when people should’ve said no or at least needed to calm down when backing Kelce. They may have been left saying, “Look what you made me do” or even “We are never ever getting back together.” I guess that makes him the anti-hero, but hopefully, everyone can shake it off in the New Year.
Let’s not finish on a down note, though. Let’s take a look at the All-Moneymaker team from 2023:
There are definitely some big stars on the list like Hurts, Henry and CeeDee Lamb, but there are also a few fun surprises on the list. The Raiders D/ST led by Maxx Crosby lands a spot as the top D/ST, and even Greg Zuerlein cracked the list as the most profitable kicker. Another surprise on the list is tight end Isaiah Likely, who has been a top late-season performer after taking over for the injured Mark Andrews for Lamar Jackson’s tight end target.
It was a great 2023, and there’s much more awaiting NFL fans in 2024. You can build a betting card with your top teams and players, so head on over to DraftKings Sportsbook and get started today!
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.