James Robinson Makes Major Leap in Odds to Lead NFL in Rushing

Travis Etienne’s season-ending foot injury is a major blow to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it has sent second-year running back James Robinson’s odds skyrocketing to lead the NFL in rushing yards. 

Robinson, who opened at +20000 odds to lead the NFL at WynnBET, has already jumped up to +5000 odds in the wake of Etienne’s injury. Robinson will still have Carlos Hyde competing for touches in the backfield, but it seems oddsmakers expect the former undrafted free agent to run away with the job. 

Last season, Robinson finished tied for fifth in the league in rushing yards despite missing two games. He finished the year with 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 49 catches for 344 yards and three more scores.

At +5000, Robinson is still a long shot to win the rushing title, but he certainly has a lot of value in a backfield that is undoubtedly his heading into Week 1. 

The 23-year-old could always struggle and cede more work to Hyde, but Urban Meyer had been singing Robinson’s praises earlier in the offseason. 

“James Robinson is one of my favorite guys, I cannot think of a harder worker,” Meyer said during camp. “I love that guy.”

With Etienne out of the picture, it seems like a no-brainer that Robinson will get as many carries as he can handle early in the season. If he stays healthy for all 17 games, I could see Robinson pushing the top five in rushing again, and he certainly has value at +5000 to lead the league if he continues to break out. 

Does James Robinson have value in the NFL’s rushing yards race? Get in on the action with the WynnBET app.