How Many Rushing Yards will Kenyan Drake Have in 2020?

Running back Kenyan Drake exploded onto the scene in Arizona after being traded from Miami midway through the season. With high expectations, can he hit the over on his projected total from the sportsbooks?

The Arizona Cardinals made the biggest splash of the NFL offseason when they stole star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a trade with the Houston Texans.

Arizona further stamped its faith in running back Kenyan Drake when they used the transition tag on the veteran back while sending former lead back David Johnson out of town in the trade for Hopkins.

🗣 @KDx32 pic.twitter.com/DgXYq38QRs

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) June 18, 2020

Drake took over lead-back duties after working his way into the Cardinals rotation following his mid-season acquisition via trade from Miami. Despite failing to top 50 rushing yards in the first six games of 2019 as a member of the Dolphins, Drake ended up finishing as the overall RB17 in PPR leagues. Tremendous potential lies ahead for Drake, Hopkins, and the entire Cardinals offense in 2020.

What Are the Oddsmakers Saying?

DraftKings Sportsbook currently has Drake’s total rushing yards number in 2020 set at 975.5 yards.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Drake’s Fantasy Value in 2020

Drake finished the 2019 campaign with 643 rushing yards for Arizona in only eight games. While averaging 80 yards per game, he finished second on the club with a solid 5.2 yards-per-carry while also finding the endzone a team-high eight times on the ground. That delighted fantasy owners who invested draft capital in acquiring him last summer while rostered on the Dolphins.

Drake during his eight games in the desert was on the field for 79% of the offensive snaps. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury immediately utilized his newest weapon in his first game with Arizona, and the veteran quickly earned praise following his strong performance against the stout San Francisco run defense on Thursday Night Football.

Kenyan Drake averaged 19.6 PPR points per game from Weeks 9-17

4th best among all RBspic.twitter.com/gNsIwaLqAL

— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) June 17, 2020

After averaging 15.4 carries per game, his output propelled him to post the fourth-most fantasy points among all running backs during that eight-game span. The Cardinals’ offense should only improve in Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray's second season together and coupled with Hopkins’ arrival, it puts Drake in the elite RB1 discussion heading into drafts this summer.

It should be noted that Murray posted the second-most rushing yards (554) behind Drake as well as second among all starting NFL signal-callers, only behind Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson. 

.@KDx32 ➡️ @AZCardinals = Immediate impact

His best plays in Arizona! pic.twitter.com/TNk2xwqd4p

— NFL (@NFL) March 6, 2020

For where he was selected in drafts at the Fantasy Football World Championships (FFWC), the former Alabama standout surpassed all value and carried fantasy owners late in 2019.

2020 projections indicate a monster year on deck for Drake and the Cardinals; who are poised to make some noise in the NFC West in 2020.

The big difference in drafts this summer compared to the past is Drake’s soaring ADP will command valuable early round draft capital from any fantasy player looking to acquire him this season.

Arizona Cardinals 2020 Schedule

The moment we’ve all been waiting for.

Our 2020 regular season schedule has arrived. pic.twitter.com/YvYL5lLtFr

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 7, 2020

Betting Advice:

Drake has yet to surpass 644 rushing yards in his five seasons in the NFL but all the stars have aligned in 2020 for to post career-highs across the board getting the bulk of the load in 2020 in this talented offense.

Mark Morales-Smith highlighted Drake as one of his underrated Dynasty players to watch:

“Drake has legitimate RB1 potential this season and, with just over 450 career carries, could have a solid four or five years left in him. His usage was light during his college days at Alabama, so there is plenty of tread left on those wheels. You get value here in both PPR and standard leagues. We already knew he had PPR value coming from Miami. Still, he showed the ability to be a top ball-carrier and find the end zone in Arizona when finally given an opportunity last season.”

AllCardinals reporter Howard Balzer points out that although the addition of Hopkins could reduce Drake's workload it could be beneficial to overall rushing production.

“The flip side is that the improved receiving corps could translate to more open spaces for Drake to run, and potentially more opportunities in the red zone.”

My model has identified Drake as one of the true breakout fantasy stars in 2020 with a projection that well exceeds the coveted 1,000-yard benchmark. Drake will only need to average 61 yards per game on the ground over a 16-game season to surpass this betting number. Therefore, I see value in going over the number currently being offered by DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Play: OVER 975.5 rushing yards (-110)