Kansas City Chiefs rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been getting a lot of love since Damien Williams elected to opt out of the 2020 NFL season. Edwards-Helaire has become a hot commodity in fantasy football, with many coveting him in re-draft leagues. He’s also quickly become a favorite of the oddsmakers in sports betting.
BetMGM has updated its odds for the winner of the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2020. Edwards-Helaire previously ranked fifth among offensive rookies with 10/1 odds to win the award. He was the third running back listed, coming in behind Detroit Lions RB D’Andre Swift (8/1) and Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (19/2). Now, Edwards-Helaire is the first running back listed with (4/1) odds. He has the second-best odds to win the award to only Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow, who was Edward-Helaire’s quarterback last year at LSU. The next-closest running back to Edwards-Helaire is now Swift, who comes in at No. 3 with 9/1 odds.
Edwards-Helaire won’t be competing with an incumbent start for touches in the Chiefs’ offense. It’s clear that many now view Edwards-Helaire as a bell-cow type of running back in Kansas City. As a starter with LSU in 2019, Edwards-Helaire had 215 carries for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns. He added another 55 receptions for 453 yards and a touchdown through the air as well.
Our own Kevin Scott believes that Edwards-Helaire will have 198 carries for 985 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020 with the Chiefs. He’ll also tally 55 catches for 500 yards and five touchdowns. Would that type of performance be good enough for an Offensive Rookie of the Year Award? New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley won the award in 2018 with similar statistics. That could give Edwards-Helaire a real shot, so long as he’s able to beat out Burrow. Everyone knows how this league loves its quarterbacks and running backs are often viewed with a different lens.
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