After feasting on football all day yesterday, it’s time for the first edition of Monday Night Football in the 2026 NFL season. This matchup is a juicy one, pitting the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs against each other in an AFC West rivalry tilt. While his season was cut short last year due to injury, J.K. Dobbins is back on the field and should be looking for a big effort on the ground tonight as he once again steps in as the top option in Denver’s rushing attack.
Here’s the best player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook for J.K. Dobbins in Broncos vs. Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
J.K. Dobbins best rushing yards pick vs. Chiefs
Were it not for some issues staying healthy, J.K. Dobbins might be regarded as one of the best pure runners in the NFL. He holds a career average of 5.2 yards per attempt and has been very effective when on the field – he has 3,024 career yards on just 582 total attempts.
Back in 2024, the veteran posted a career-best 905 rushing yards with an average of 69.6 per game with the Los Angeles Chargers, though he was limited to just 13 games. That performance got him a deal with the Denver Broncos in 2025, with whom he took over a clear lead role in the backfield for Sean Payton’s offense. He performed admirably when healthy with 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but was again limited to only 10 contests due to injury. He then re-upped on his contract with Denver and is around again for the 2026 campaign, where he’ll reportedly be working as the top rushing option again.
Heading into the opening Monday Night Football matchup of 2026, DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Broncos as a +2.5 underdog on the road with +114 odds on the Moneyline. The game total is set at 43.5 combined points.
The matchup tonight isn’t a particularly easy one for Dobbins. The Chiefs were quite stout against the run last season, ranking ninth in rushing yards allowed and 13th in defensive EPA/rush. Their defensive front includes standouts Chris Jones and George Karlaftis while the team also added talent through the draft with R Mason Thomas and Peter Woods. Running the ball on them isn’t likely to be any easier of a task this year, which is why I’m actually on board with fading Dobbins’ production this evening.
It’s not that the halfback isn’t talented – clearly, he is. He’ll also still have a clear hold on lead duties in the backfield, though he may surrender a few carries to fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman. One can expect that he sees volume of around 12-15 rush attempts, but given other developments for the Broncos, the passing game may get the shine tonight. The offense ranked fourth in pass volume last season and was towards the top of the NFL in pass rate over expectation, plus, the front office added Jaylen Waddle to the receiver room. Given those factors, their standing as a slight underdog and the fact that Kansas City has several new faces in the secondary, there may be more of an emphasis on the aerial attack.
With the combination of those factors and the difficult matchup, I like the under on 53.5 rushing yards for Dobbins in this Monday Night Football matchup. He may come close to that line, but it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll go over it.
