2024 NFL Season: Most Regular Season Rushing Yards Odds

The running back position might not be valued highly anymore, but a handful of players continue to defy the trend and are among the favorites to lead the NFL in rushing yards in 2024.

A few veterans on big-money deals are included in that group, as are some young talents who are still on their rookie contracts.

We'll break down the favorites' chances to lead the NFL in rushing yards in the 2024 regular season.

2024 NFL Season - Most Regular Season Rushing Yards

Christian McCaffrey	+260
Jonathan Taylor	+450
Breece Hall	+750
Saquon Barkley	+750
Bijan Robinson	+1200
Derrick Henry	+1200

Christian McCaffrey +260

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is +260 to lead the NFL in rushing yards in the 2024 regular season.

He did so last year with 1,459 yards, becoming the oldest player to accomplish the feat since Adrian Peterson did it at 30 years old (McCaffrey was 27 last season). He took home the Offensive Player of the Year Award for his efforts.

McCaffrey has a strong offensive line in front of him and should see plenty of opportunities to rack up rushing yards in an offense that features talented receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle.

The Stanford product had just four games with at least 20 carries in 2023, but he had seven games with at least 100 rushing yards and racked up 5.36 yards per attempt on the season. If he keeps up that yardage rate and stays healthy, he should be near the top of the rushing yards leaders all season.

Jonathan Taylor +450

Jonathan Taylor got himself a three-year contract from the Indianapolis Colts after holding out to begin the 2023 regular season. In the 10 games he played, he posted career-lows with 74.1 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry.

He should perform better with a full preseason in 2024. Taylor led the NFL in rushing yards in 2021, his sophomore campaign, where he posted 106.5 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry.

Taylor did not play in all 17 games in either 2022 or 2023. If he can do that this season, he should be among the rushing yards leader given the talent he has and the number of touches he'll get.

Breece Hall +750

New York Jets running back Breece Hall has not reached 1,000 yards in either of his first two NFL seasons, but his yards per carry numbers - paired with the fact the Jets improved their offensive line this offseason - bode well for a back who will be 23 at the start of the season.

Running back is increasingly a young man's position: Backs under 25 years old led the NFL in rushing yards in six of the seven seasons between 2016 and 2022.

Hall posted 5.8 yards per carry as a rookie, and while it dropped to 4.5 last season, he was playing with a merry-go-round of substandard QBs after Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury, which put extra stress on the Jets' run game.

Rodgers is healthy heading into 2024, so the Jets' opponents will have to plan for a solid passing game this season. That will open up opportunities for Hall, and with new offensive linemen in Tyron Smith and Olu Fashanu on the team, the pieces are in place for a surge in production.

Saquon Barkley +750

Since LeSean McCoy left the team after the 2014 season, the Philadelphia Eagles have been a rush-by-committee team. That era appears to be over, as the team signed Saquon Barkley from the division rival New York Giants this offseason.

Barkley has dealt with injuries throughout his NFL career, but the Giants have never had an offensive line as good as the Eagles' while Barkley has been a pro. With Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson in the trenches, the 2018 second-overall draft pick could have a career year.

Barkley is also being paid like a three-down back, as he signed a three-year deal worth up to $46.75 million.

Sure, the Eagles have two top-tier receivers in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, but Barkley will have plenty of chances to rack up the yards as an Eagle.

Bijan Robinson +1200

Bijan Robinson, the eighth-overall pick in the 2023 draft, did not see as much of the ball as most people thought in his rookie year because of the emergence of fellow running back Tyler Allgeier.

The Atlanta Falcons backfield duo combined to rank ninth in team rushing yards, but Robinson may feel disappointed with his first season.

Entering 2024, the Falcons offense should be less predictable than it was in 2023 thanks to having the proven talent of Kirk Cousins under center. Cousins is returning from an Achilles injury, so Atlanta's running game may carry a heavy load early in the season.

Even with Allgeier taking away touches and yardage, Robinson still ended the season with 976 rush yards. Robinson was also used as a receiver, but that's likely to be less common after Atlanta added Rondale Moore and Darnell Mooney. So, the main question is how the team balances Robinson and Allgeier in the backfield.

Derrick Henry +1200

King Henry has a new home, as the Baltimore Ravens signed two-time rushing yards leader Derrick Henry to a two-year deal worth up to $16 million.

Henry's main task will be taking pressure off Ravens QB and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, who finished last season with 821 rush yards, the most rush yards by a QB in 2023.

After finishing 2023 with the most carries in the NFL but the second-most yards - trailing rushing leader McCaffrey by almost 400 yards - Henry will play behind a much better offensive line than he did last year with the Tennessee Titans.

Playing for the Ravens also represents Henry's best chance for a championship as he has only played in seven playoff games in his eight-year career. With six-straight 10-TD seasons and 1,000-yard rushing seasons in five of those six seasons, he adds a missing dimension to an already excellent Ravens offense.

Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.