San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey ran away with last season’s NFL rushing title. The former Stanford standout rushed for 1,459 yards, 292 more than the second-place finisher (Derrick Henry, 1,167). McCaffrey recently signed a two-year extension that contained $38 million in new money.
With NFL training camps approximately four weeks away, it’s time to look ahead to some never-too-early rushing yard leader candidates. Mainstays like McCaffrey and Henry will compete for the 2024 rushing title. Several running backs that changed teams via free agency this offseason will attempt to get into the conversation.
BetOnline’s NFL futures prop betting landscape for the 2024 rushing yards leader has taken shape. Several ball-carriers qualify as legitimate contenders. The top 10 options shake out as follows:
Christian McCaffrey (3/1)
Jonathan Taylor (6/1)
Saquon Barkley (13/2)
Breece Hall (8/1)
Bijan Robinson (10/1)
Derrick Henry (12/1)
Kyren Williams (12/1)
Josh Jacobs (16/1)
Jahmyr Gibbs (20/1)
De’Von Achane/Isiah Pacheco (22/1)
THE FAVORITE AND MY PICK: CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
The oddsmakers are backing McCaffrey to repeat as champion and it's easy to understand why. The 28-year-old prolific dual-threat back showed no signs of slowing down throughout 2023. McCaffrey won his first rushing title but made his third Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro appearance en route to capturing Offensive Player of the Year honors.
McCaffrey averaged a career-high 5.4 yards per carry and finished second among all running backs in touchdowns with 14. The conditions project to be equally as favorable this season. Supporting weapons like George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel are still on the roster. Brilliant head coach Kyle Shanahan will continue making McCaffrey the focal point of his high-scoring offense.
THE NO. 1 CONTENDER: JONATHAN TAYLOR
The 2021 rushing champion has endured difficult campaigns since that achievement. Jonathan Taylor was limited to 11 appearances in 2022 with recurring ankle injuries. He began the 2023 season on the physically unable to perform list, and a contract-related standoff with the Colts also took center stage. Taylor eventually signed a three-year extension but rushed for a career-low 741 yards in 10 games.
With both distractions and injuries now hopefully behind him, Taylor is a candidate to recapture his previous form in 2024. An opportunity to play with dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson should lead to fruitful performances for both backfield threats. Taylor is a legitimate candidate to win his second rushing title this season.
AN UNDERRATED CANDIDATE: KYREN WILLIAMS
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams was arguably the biggest surprise among all ball-carriers in 2023. An incredibly strong second half led to Williams finishing third in rushing with 1,144 yards. The former Notre Dame standout enjoyed a late-season surge that saw him rush for 114 or more yards in four of five appearances.
Williams averaged 5.0 yards per carry and rushed for 12 touchdowns. He's established himself as a key cog in Sean McVay's creative offense. The one factor that could potentially work against Williams this season is that the Rams drafted former Michigan running back Blake Corum with a third-round pick, but his 12/1 available odds are tempting.
