Michael Carter vs. Jonathan Taylor: Who Will Run for More Rushing Yards?

While the Jets and Colts on Thursday Night Football might not be the most exciting matchup on the schedule, there will be some matchups to watch for. One is the QB duel between Mike White and Carson Wentz in the air, but there will be a battle on the ground too. 

Jonathan Taylor of the Cots and Michael Carter of the Jets are very different runners but each could have a strong game in Week 9. As of now, the odds at WynnBET Sportsbook have Michael Carter’s total yards listed at 48.5 while Taylor’s are 88.5, both with -125 odds for the over and -115 odds for the under. 

The gap should come as little surprise considering that Taylor is second in the league in rushing yards behind Derrick Henry. Considering Henry will miss the rest of the season, Taylor has a good chance to end the season as the league leader in rushing yards. He seems to break a big run every week and has scored a touchdown in five of his last six games. Fact is, Taylor is on fire in his second season in the league and is building off of his 2020 success. His average yards per carry is up from 5.0 to 5.4, and he is on track to score more touchdowns this year than last year’s total of 11. The Jets rushing defense is neither particularly good nor bad so I consider this a neutral matchup for Taylor. 

Carter is a bit tougher nut to crack. His output is mediocre but consistent, but he’s been getting more attention lately. However, it’s not in the running game. Now that Mike White is under center for New York, the team’s running backs are all seeing more work. Carter especially who has been targeted by White 22 times in one and a half games with White at the helm. Carter hadn’t seen more than three passes thrown his way in any game in his pro career except for his last two games. So far, 40%of White’s passes have been to running backs and I expect this to continue. But, will this hurt Carter’s production in the running game.

If last week’s game is any indication, the extra attention from White might have helped Carter’s ground game. He saw a season-high 15 attempts and ran for a season-high of 77 yards. Basically, it was Carter’s best game since being drafted by the Jets this season. While I don’t expect him to outrun Taylor on Thursday, I do believe that he will go over his total of 48.5 against the Colts and will be curious to see if he has another big day with White. Carter is also a must-grab player for those of you looking to fill holes at running back in PPR fantasy leagues. If his usage in the passing game continues, he will be a hot commodity down the stretch.