Why Najee Harris is the smart bet for the NFL's rushing title
Najee Harris was one of the most disrespected players in the NFL last year. Sure, being a running back on the anemic Pittsburgh Steelers offense did not help his cause, but his production seemed to be dismissed. Oddsmakers are not ignoring Harris this season, putting the second-year back in contention for the NFL’s rushing title. […]
Najee Harris was one of the most disrespected players in the NFL last year. Sure, being a running back on the anemic Pittsburgh Steelers offense did not help his cause, but his production seemed to be dismissed. Oddsmakers are not ignoring Harris this season, putting the second-year back in contention for the NFL’s rushing title.
As the 2022 NFL season approaches, BetMGM has released its odds on which running back will lead the league in rushing yards. At the top of the list are your clear-cut favorites in Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor, each at +500. Behind them are Nick Chubb and Dalvin Cook (+900), Elijah Mitchell (+1400), and Harris, tied with Joe Mixon and Antonio Gibson, at +1600.
I have no issue with Henry and Taylor leading the charge, but to have Elijah Mitchell, Antonio Gibson, and even Joe Mixon in the same ballpark as Harris is perplexing.
Keep in mind that Harris led the NFL in total touches last season with 381. His 307 carries trailed just Taylor, who had 332 rushing attempts on the year. Harris will have an edge in carries over everybody but Taylor and Henry, who should finish fairly close assuming health.
There is no question that the opportunities will be there for Harris. To list him at +1600 seems like a gamble for the sportsbooks, no pun intended.
Maybe the most impressive aspect of Harris’ rookie season was that he scored 10 total touchdowns without fumbling once.
The only thing standing in the way could be the Steelers’ offensive line. However, Pittsburgh went out and signed C Mason Cole and RG James Daniels, who both figure in as starters this year.
The best thing about this specific prop bet is that you can take more than one player and still come out with a profit. My preferred strategy would be to take one of the Henry/Taylor pairing along with Harris as a smaller play. No matter how you play it, betting Harris at 16/1 is a valuable option that Steelers fans should absolutely take advantage of before the price comes down.
Featured image via Jeffery Becker – USA TODAY Sports
