It was a brutal 2020 season for Christian McCaffrey. After having back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 2018 and 2019, McCaffrey had the worst year of his career in 2020. In April, he signed a four-year, $64 million extension with the Carolina Panthers, but he could only play in three games after suffering a high ankle sprain and a shoulder injury. That led to McCaffrey finishing with just 374 yards from scrimmage. He could only average 3.8 YPC during his minimal time on the field. Those numbers were a far cry from what we saw during All-Pro seasons in 2018 and 2019, so McCaffrey is looking for a return to form in 2021.
Christian McCaffrey Regular Season Receiving Yards
Over 775.5 -112
Under 775.5 -112
You won’t find a better receiver out of the backfield than Christian McCaffrey. He became just the third running back ever to have over 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season two years ago, and his 116 receptions shattered the single-season record for catches by a running back.
McCaffrey is Carolina’s best weapon, so the coaching staff wants to prioritize touches for its star player. They do have better receivers than they did the last few seasons though, as Robbie Anderson and D.J. Moore both finished with at least 1,000 receiving yards in 2020. Additionally, the Panthers drafted Terrace Marshall Jr. in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft in order to beef up this receiving corps.
New quarterback Sam Darnold is looking to kickstart his career after three subpar seasons with the New York Jets. Darnold is being reunited with Anderson, so he will likely throw him a lot of passes, but we haven’t seen him feature running backs in the passing game too much. That might make the under the pick even though the over seems logical given McCaffrey’s history when healthy.
Christian McCaffrey Regular Season Rushing Yards
Over 1150.5 -112
Under 1150.5 -112
The under might be a good bet in terms of McCaffrey’s rushing yards too. Carolina does not have a good offensive line in front of its star running back, and the Panthers took Chuba Hubbard in the fourth-round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Hubbard was a high-volume running back during his time at Oklahoma State. He was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, and Hubbard should play more of a role than back-up running backs have played recently with the Panthers.
Christian McCaffrey Regular Season Receptions
Over 94.5 -112
Under 94.5 -112
If we are going to bet under on the first two props, the under on this prop must be considered as well. McCaffrey had 107 receptions in 2018 and 116 receptions in 2019, but he probably won’t figure as much into the passing game as he did those two seasons. Carolina has Darnold instead of Teddy Bridgewater under center now, and the receiving corps has improved significantly. The Panthers have three quality receivers on the roster, so all three of those players figure to get their fair share of touches.
The 17-game schedule is something to consider though. That extra game could be the deciding factor in this wager.
Christian McCaffrey Regular Season Rushing and Receiving Touchdowns
Over 15.5 -125
Under 15.5 +100
In his first three seasons in the NFL, McCaffrey didn’t miss a game. He only totaled seven touchdowns in 2017 and 13 touchdowns in 2018 though before breaking through in a big way with 19 total touchdowns during the 2019 campaign. Despite only playing in three games during the 2020 season, McCaffrey had six total touchdowns so the over might be the best option here. Carolina doesn’t have a tight end to target in the red zone, and McCaffrey’s versatility makes him a great choice close to the goal line.
Will Christian McCaffrey Lead the NFL in Rushing Yards?
Yes +900
It’s unlikely that Christian McCaffrey ever leads the league in rushing. McCaffrey sees too many touches as a receiver, and the Panthers don’t want to overwork their star player, especially when he is coming off two injuries that caused him to miss 13 games. There are only three players with shorter odds, but there should probably be seven or eight players listed ahead of McCaffrey.
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