Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey wasn’t able to get quite right during the 2020 season with ankle, shoulder, and quadriceps injuries limiting to just three games last fall.
With a new season on the horizon, however, the All-Pro is back and has indicated that he is 100% and ready to carry the load for the Carolina offense once again. He is poised to once again serve as one of the NFL’s most deadly swiss army knives coming out of the backfield.
Here, we’ll take a look at the prop bets on the table for Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey on DraftKings Sportsbook ahead of the 2021 NFL season and make our picks.
1200.5 rushing yards: Under (-130) or Over (+100)
Our pick: Over
McCaffrey’s touches increased every year of his career prior to last season, setting a career high of 1,387 yards on 287 carries in 2019. Barring another injury setback, there’s no reason to believe why the former Stanford star won’t continue his upward trajectory in carrying a bulk of the hull for Carolina, even with backups like Reggie Bonnafon on standby to provide relief with carries of his own. The added 17th game adds an extra opportunity to clear this benchmark.
11.5 rushing touchdowns: Over (-115) or Under (-115)
Our pick: Over
CMAC set ran for a career high 15 rushing touchdowns in 2019 and managed to power his way to five on the ground last year in just three games. He should be able to easily clear 11.5 should he stay healthy for a good majority of the season.
1850.5 scrimmage yards: Over (-115) or Under (-115)
Our pick: Over
McCaffrey crossing 1850.5 scrimmage yards in 2021 obviously depends on how much he’s utilized as a receiving target out of the backfield and two factors indicate that this will be no problem. No. 1, McCaffrey has been one of the NFL’s elite pass catching running backs since his arrival in 2017. His targets had increased every year prior to 2020 and he ended up notching 1,005 receiving yards on 8.7 ypr in 2019.
No. 2, offensive coordinator’s Joe Brady’s scheme naturally lends itself to running backs getting numerous looks as receiving threats. Clyde Edwards-Helaire caught 55 passes for 453 yards during LSU’s national championship season in 2019 and Mike Davis hauled in 59 catches for the Panthers in 2020. A fully activated McCaffrey is bound to thrive in this system.
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