Jonathan Taylor began his rise to stardom by winning the rushing title last season, but with Derrick Henry back from injury, the rushing title is up for grabs. Taylor and Henry opened as the close favorites for the title, but Dalvin Cook, Nick Chubb, and Najee Harris are not far behind. It will be a close race for the title, no matter who it is between, so I’ve found my best bet and my best longshot bet for the rushing title leader in 2022.
Regular season most rushing yards odds
Jonathan Taylor (+450)
Derrick Henry (+650)
Dalvin Cook (+1000)
Nick Chubb (+1000)
Najee Harris (+1400)
Joe Mixon (+1400)
Javonte Williams (+2000)
J.K. Dobbins (+3000)
Ezekiel Elliot (+3000)
Cam Akers (+3000)
Contenders
Jonathan Taylor (+500)
It’s not surprising to see Jonathan Taylor’s name at the top of this list following his breakout 2021 season. Taylor ran away, pun intended, with the rushing yard title last year and will have a chance to defend his title this upcoming season. Matt Ryan will be under center for the Colts in 2022, so the veteran QB might need a few weeks to gain chemistry with his receiving corps. In that time, Taylor will be getting ample opportunities to become the frontrunner to go back-to-back.
Derrick Henry (+650)
The 2-time rushing leader was on his way to a 3rd consecutive title last season before a foot injury in Week 8 ruined his chance. At the time of the injury, Derrick Henry led the NFL in carries and rushing yards and was averaging about 117 rushing yards per game. The Titans made several moves in their receiving corps which will take Ryan Tannehill a few weeks to get used to since his favorite target A.J. Brown will no longer be there. Similar to Taylor, Henry will get the chance to be the main source of the Tennessee offense once again.
Nick Chubb (+1000)
The Browns running back has finished 2nd in rushing yards in 2 of the last 3 seasons. In 2019, Chubb was barely beaten by Henry, and last season Chubb was runner-up to Taylor’s incredible season. Chubb has fit well in the Cleveland scheme that was dominant on the ground in 2021 as they had the 4th-best rushing attack in the NFL. The Browns moved on from Baker Mayfield this offseason and may lean even more heavily on their ground game while Deshaun Watson is suspended.
Rushing leader best bet: Derrick Henry (+650)
It’s hard to ignore the dominance of Henry in the last 3 seasons. The Tennessee running back was on his way to back-to-back-to-back rushing titles before the injury, but fortunately for him, he is back to 100% health for the 2022 season. In 2020, Henry easily won the rushing title as he accumulated an absurd 2,027 yards, and he followed that up with 937 yards in 8 games in the 2021 season. It’s true that Taylor had a breakout season in 2021 and has become a rising star, but we’ve yet to see Taylor beat a healthy Henry in a full season. I expect Henry to easily eclipse 1,500 yards this upcoming season as he will once again be their source of offense. The former Alabama back will have a heavy workload early in the season since Tannehill will be without Brown or Julio Jones and have to develop chemistry with his new receivers such as Robert Woods and Austin Hooper. Henry’s +650 odds to win the rushing title offers a lot of value as I expect his odds to only move closer to a favorite as the season goes on.
Rushing leader longshot best bet: Saquon Barkley (+4000)
He’s only played in 15 games in the last 2 seasons, but Saquon Barkley is poised to have a breakout 2022 season. The Giants running back has been plagued with injuries in his young career as dealt with a sprained ankle in 2019, a torn ACL in 2020, and then missed a considerable amount of time in 2021 with an ankle injury. To try and protect Barkley, the Giants improved their offensive line which was one of their biggest weaknesses in 2021. Their offensive line ranked 30th last season, but heading into this season’s preseason games, the Giants’ O-line is ranked 18th. New York replaced every starter on their offensive line except for Andrew Thomas in a statement move. Daniel Jones might have more time in the pocket with this new O-line, but it won’t help him stop fumbling the ball or making poor decisions. I expect Barkley to have plenty of opportunities this season, so I’m crossing my fingers that he stays healthy.
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