James Cook had a career-high 32 carries, which led him to the weekly rushing title with 144 rush yards.
Six running backs reached 100 rushing yards in Week 13, including two Bears running backs, but volume remained a consistent theme as all six running backs had at least 18 carries.
Bijan Robinson was the only running back from a losing team to join that group last week, but the Falcons lost in overtime, which was critical to a run-friendly game state.
Volume remains a critical component chasing rushing leaders, and volume is often correlated with a favorable game script.
The top eight single game rushing performances this season have come from running backs on the winning team.
Up to this point, 18 of the top 20 highest rushing totals on the season are from running backs on the winning team.
The two that were on the losing side lost by a single point in the final minute of the game.
In chasing most rushing yards or rushing yards over prop bets, identifying favorites or short dogs is a key component.
There are only three games that are currently lined by less than a field goal, which opens up the number of running backs who could be propelled to early leads and favorable volume for a spike week.
NFL Weekly Rushing Leaders, 2025:
| Week | Running Back | Rushing Yards | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derrick Henry | 169 | Buffalo Bills |
| 2 | Jonathan Taylor | 165 | Denver Broncos |
| 3 | David Montgomery | 151 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 4 | Ashton Jeanty | 138 | Chicago Bears |
| 5 | Rico Dowdle | 206 | Miami Dolphins |
| 6 | Rico Dowdle | 183 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 7 | Jahmyr Gibbs | 136 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 8 | James Cook | 216 | Carolina Panthers |
| 9 | Kyle Monangai | 176 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 10 | Jonathan Taylor | 244 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 11 | De'Von Achane | 120 | Washington Commanders |
| 12 | Jahmyr Gibbs | 219 | New York Giants |
| 13 | James Cook | 144 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Most Week 14 Rushing Yards Prediction (Sunday): Derrick Henry (+1000)
Henry becomes more difficult to tackle later in the season.
It’s not a myth.
In a 10-year sample, Henry has averaged 6.1 yards per carry in January and 5.3 yards per carry in December compared to 4.7 yards per carry in September through November.
The Ravens enter Sunday with Lamar Jackson a shell of himself, dealing with numerous injuries.
They are facing a Steelers defensive line that could be fatigued late in the season after defending 51 rush attempts from the Bills on Sunday.
As we have seen in the past with Henry, all it takes is a couple of broken tackles for him to bust a lengthy run.
Although Henry’s down-to-down success has dipped this season, he is still rushing for 10 or more yards on 11.2% of his carries.
The Steelers are facing 23.3 running back rushes per game, and it is unlikely that the offense under Aaron Rodgers builds a lead, which increases the chances that Henry compiles volume this week.
Henry had success late last season against the Steelers, rushing for 186 yards in a playoff matchup and 162 yards in a December matchup.
In a pivotal AFC North matchup, it is more likely that Henry returns to his previous form than Jackson, which leads me to believe that the Ravens could lean on the running back.
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Week 14 Running Back Longshot Bet: Chris Rodriguez Bets
- Rushing Attempts Over 10.5 (-127)
- Rushing Yards Over 41.5 (-110)
- 60+ Rushing Yards (+244)
- 100+ Rushing Yards (+1480)
- Anytime Touchdown (+165)
- First Touchdown Scorer (+950)
For those paying attention, Rodriguez has surpassed Bill Croskey-Merritt as the Commanders' lead running back.
Rodriguez has handled 90% of the first quarter running back carries in the past two games.
Over the past four games, Rodriguez has reached double-digit carries three times with the one exception a game he left with a shoulder injury.
The Commanders enter the game as favorites, increasing the potential for a positive game state against a struggling Vikings offense.
Since Week 9, the Commanders have quietly shifted to a rushing offense.
In the opening eight weeks of the season, the Commanders' running back room averaged 17.4 rushes per game.
That has ballooned to 24 over the past four games.
Rodriguez is potentially in line for his busiest game of the season, and his rushing props have not adjusted fully.