Saquon Barkley led the NFL in rushing yards last season with 2,005 yards in just 16 games.
Derrick Henry was second in rushing yards with 1,921 yards, the second-most in a single season in his career.
Christian McCaffrey played just four games in 2024-25 after dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis.
With the 2025 NFL Draft behind us and training camp on the way, the NFL rosters, prior to preseason cuts, are set.
Will Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley repeat, or will someone else rise to the top?
Below, we’ll examine the top odds-on favorites, offer up three best bet predictions, look at my pick, and more.
Odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Use our promo code WSNDYW to sign up for an account and claim: Bet $1, Get 10 100% Profit Boost Tokens.
Player | Position | Team | Odds |
---|---|---|---|
Saquon Barkley | RB | Philadelphia Eagles | +230 BET HERE |
Derrick Henry | RB | Baltimore Ravens | +400 BET HERE |
Christian McCaffrey | RB | San Francisco 49ers | +750 BET HERE |
Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts | +750 BET HERE |
Bijan Robinson | RB | Atlanta Falcons | +1000 BET HERE |
Josh Jacobs | RB | Green Bay Packers | +1800 BET HERE |
Kyren Williams | RB | Los Angeles Rams | +2000 BET HERE |
Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | Detroit Lions | +2000 BET HERE |
Ashton Jeanty | RB | Las Vegas Raiders | +2200 BET HERE |
Bucky Irving | RB | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +2500 BET HERE |
Chuba Hubbard | RB | Carolina Panthers | +2500 BET HERE |
Rest of the candidates listed at +3500 odds and higher.
To get the most value out of futures betting market wagers, such as the NFL’s leading rusher, it’s best to get them in before the season and the statistics start piling up.
Below are three options I’d consider:
Saquon Barkley: It’s hard to not pick Barkley. The guy had 2,005 yards in 16 games. He could’ve broken the single-game rushing record, but sat out Week 17. Barkley averaged over 125 rushing yards per game, and there’s no sign of him slowing down. The Eagles signed A.J. Dillon, but he’ll only be used in short-yardage roles. The offensive line is mostly intact, too. I expect another fantastic season from Barkley.
Jonathan Taylor: Taylor played 14 games last season and had 1,412 rushing yards. If he had played in all 17 games, he would’ve finished with 1,714 yards. No, this wouldn’t have led the league, but also remember that the Colts team was dysfunctional with Anthony Richardson in and out of the lineup. I’d expect the offensive line to continue to hold up for Taylor and for the quarterback situation to be a bit more stable, which includes giving Taylor the ball another 300-plus times.
RJ Harvey: This is a bit of a dark-horse pick, but I wouldn’t mind sprinkling a bit on Harvey. Yes, he’s a rookie, but he was incredibly productive in college, and I suspect he’ll be used plenty in Sean Payton’s offense. Behind him are Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, and Blake Watson. Estime and McLaughlin both landed with the Broncos with Payton as head coach, so drafting Harvey points to an overall distrust in them being “the guy.” Payton wants to run the ball, and Harvey will get plenty of work.
Bet $1 at Caesars and Get Ten 100% Profit Boost Tokens
It’s impossible not to pick Barkley, and this is the only time you’ll get him at “plus” value. He had over 2,000 yards in 16 games, no legitimate competition was added to the depth chart, and the offensive line will continue to be one of the best in the league.
The only way to bet on the NFL rushing yards leader is through the futures betting market. There are alternate ways you can bet on rushing yards, though.
Many of the top online sportsbooks have over/under futures lines for each player, and you can also bet on each player's rushing yards on a per-game basis.
Looking at the odds above, you'll notice that each player has a "+" next to their name. This is typical during the preseason when there’s still a lot of uncertainty and games haven't started. As the season progresses and player stats start to separate the contenders, you’ll begin to see “-” odds appear for the frontrunners.
Let's examine how to read these odds through the lens of winning $100 or wagering $100.
“+” odds indicate how much you’d win on a $100 bet. For instance, if Barkley is listed at +650, a $100 wager would return $650 in winnings.
“-” odds show how much you must bet to win $100. So, if Barkley were -650, you’d have to wager $650 just to win $100.
The best places to wager on the NFL rushing yards leader right now are FanDuel, Caesars, and BetMGM.
Caesars Sportsbook: The odds above are from Caesars, and it was the first to offer these odds during the preseason. There’s a new player-friendly welcome bonus and frequent odds boosts. Use our promo code WSNDYW to sign up for a Caesars account and claim the welcome offer: Bet $1, Get 10 100% Profit Boost Tokens.
FanDuel Sportsbook: Offers a sizable welcome bonus, great customer support, and tools for new players to understand the ins and outs of sports betting. Follow our link to claim the welcome bonus offer at FanDuel: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.
BetMGM Sportsbook: The largest welcome bonus on the market today, BetMGM offers some free-to-play games to earn bonus bets. Sign up for a BetMGM account with our promo code WSNSPORTS and get the following offer: Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.
*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.
The rushing yards leader has been tracked yearly since 1932. In 1967, the Super Bowl era began.
Below is the NFL's leading rusher every year since 2010. Since then, only one player has gone back-to-back as the league’s leading rusher.
Year | Player | Position | Team |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Saquon Barkley | RB | Philadelphia Eagles |
2023 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | San Francisco 49ers |
2022 | Josh Jacobs | RB | Las Vegas Raiders |
2021 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts |
2020 | Derrick Henry | RB | Tennessee Titans |
2019 | Derrick Henry | RB | Tennessee Titans |
2018 | Ezekiel Elliott | RB | Dallas Cowboys |
2017 | Kareem Hunt | RB | Kansas City Chiefs |
2016 | Ezekiel Elliott | RB | Dallas Cowboys |
2015 | Adrian Peterson | RB | Minnesota Vikings |
2014 | DeMarco Murray | RB | Dallas Cowboys |
2013 | LeSean McCoy | RB | Philadelphia Eagles |
2012 | Adrian Peterson | RB | Minnesota Vikings |
2011 | Maurice Jones-Drew | RB | Jacksonville Jaguars |
2010 | Arian Foster | RB | Houston Texans |
Responsible Gambling
If you or someone you know needs support or wants to speak with a professional about responsible gambling, seek out the correct resources. Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to get help, or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. WSN is an advocate for safe gambling practices. Visit our Responsible Gambling Center for more details.
We support responsible gambling. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you need help, call
1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is managed by Gentoo Media. Unless declared otherwise, all of the visible content on this site, such
as texts and images, including the brand name and logo, belongs to Innovation Labs Limited (a Gentoo Media
company) - Company Registration Number C44130, VAT ID: MT18874732, @GIG Beach Triq id-Dragunara, St.
Julians, STJ3148, Malta.
Advertising Disclosure: WSN.com contains links to partner websites. When a visitor to our website clicks on
one of these links and makes a purchase at a partner site, World Sports Network is paid a commission.
Copyright © 2025