Week 11 NFL Moneyline Underdogs
Mike Randle
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One of the most basic axioms of stock-investment strategy is “buy low, sell high.” But if a rising stock still has plenty of room to grow, why can’t “buy high to go higher” also be sage advice? Today, we examine Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and how his success has translated into strong financial value for Mojo investors.
Price History: Jalen Hurts
Few NFL players have started the 2022 season stronger than Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts. The third-year Oklahoma product has posted consecutive top-five fantasy finishes for the 2-0 Eagles. In the spirit of today’s dual-threat quarterbacks, Hurts currently ranks first at the position overall with 147 rushing yards, while carrying the highest yards per attempt (9.1) of any signal-caller.
Hurts’ Mojo price has started to rise again. His Initial Public Offering was $13.36 at the start of his rookie season. After barely seeing the field through Week 12, Hurts’ price plummeted to a career-low $7.99 on Nov. 11, 2020. Optimism increased at the start of the 2021 season, translating to an opening price of $24.76. The Eagles quarterback started the year with seven consecutive top-10 QB fantasy stat lines and tallied nine such performances prior to an ankle injury in Week 12. His stock value reached a new high at $36.02 on Nov. 20, equating to a $7.23 increase (25.1%) in just two months.
After the ankle injury, Hurts struggled with consistency as a passer, which translated to a lack of faith in Hurts future potential as a consistent NFL starter. As a result, Hurts’ price stagnated between $32.11 and $32.42 throughout this past summer.
Entering September, Hurts generated polarizing opinions. Was he a true franchise quarterback or just a talented athlete destined for journeyman status? His stock price dipped on Sept. 3 ($31.91), but since then, Hurts stock price has exploded.
Hurts Soars in 2022
In a 38-35 Week 1 victory at Detroit, Hurts produced a modest passing line of just 243 yards, but he generated 90 rushing yards and one rushing score. That game raised his stock price to $36.90, an impressive 15.6% increase in just one week. The detractors still noticed his lack of a single passing touchdown despite Philadelphia scoring 38 points. Hurts’ 56.3% completion percentage also caused concern.
Week 2 brought a dominant performance for Hurts, dissecting a solid Vikings defense for 333 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Investors have now grown Hurts’ price to a career-high of $40.60 per share. During Tuesday trading, Hurts’ value continued to climb, producing 3.5% growth in just 24 hours.
2022 Season Projection
There are substantial reasons to be bullish on Hurts and the entire Eagles team for the rest of the 2021 season. In August, Warren Sharp identified Philadelphia as having the second-easiest strength of schedule per Vegas opposing preseason win totals. After an impressive 2-0 start, the Eagles are now the betting favorite to win the NFC East, carrying -200 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Hurts is also approaching a midseason schedule that is extremely favorable to quarterbacks. From Week 4 to 13, the Eagles play six home games against mediocre opponents. Their road matchups during that time are against manageable teams such as Arizona, Houston and Indianapolis. Despite the recent rise in Hurts’ price, there is still plenty of room to grow.
If Philadelphia continues on their current path, the Eagles become a legitimate championship contender. Last year’s Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Matthew Stafford, currently carries a value of $99.75 per share, despite being 10 years older than Hurts. Comparable quarterbacks such as Dak Prescott ($62.90) and Justin Herbert ($87.34), also carry substantially higher prices. Even if Hurts simply approaches Trevor Lawrence’s current value ($58.75), that would equate to a lucrative 45% return on investment.
Summary
When looking to invest in NFL players at Mojo, the most desirable targets are quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts provides everything we would want in a player investment: talent, youth and a strong supporting cast. Even though investors have already missed out on his preseason value, the “buy high to go higher” axiom is perfectly illustrated by this third-year Philadelphia signal-caller.
