Odds for when Ezekiel Elliott returns from holdout

Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon are two of the best running backs in the league and both entered the offseason hoping to land new contracts that would vault them into the category of Todd Gurley and Le'Veon Bell as the highest-paid running backs in the league. Their productivity certainly merits that, but in a league that increasingly devalues the position, it's hard for a running back to get their due.

So when neither player had a deal done by the end of last month, they took the calculated risk of holding out of training camp. Both are subject to large fines and if they sit out games they would be choosing to forego their checks and also lose time accrued towards becoming a free agent. However, they're hoping that their teams can't imagine a world without them and come back to the bargaining table.

Since the turn of the 21st century, there's been a shift in NFL ideology when it comes to running backs. It used to be that a quality running back was irreplaceable, but decades of peewee, high school and college programs putting their best athletes at the position has created so much depth that the league views running backs as expendable.

Want to cash in huge on the NFL, NBA, NHL, college sports and much, much more? Join SportsLine now to get picks for every single game from a proven computer model and Vegas experts, plus daily and season-long Fantasy advice and projections.

Decades ago, a player like Le'Veon Bell would have never been allowed to get away from the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, as Bell refused to play on the franchise tag and he and the Steelers reached a stalemate at the negotiating table, Pittsburgh found out they were nearly as good with James Conner and eventually let Bell walk in free agency, where he would sign with the New York Jets.

The Cowboys and Chargers now have to make similar decisions with Elliott and Gordon, respectively. Is it worth investing between 6-8 percent of available salary cap space on a running back when you can throw undrafted free agents and late-round picks at the problem for roughly 1/20th of the price? Meanwhile, Elliott and Gordon have to weigh whether it's worth losing a year of potential earnings in the interest of holding their ground.

There will be difficult decisions made all the way around and SportsLine is offering odds on how it will all play out. These odds are for informational purposes only.

Will Melvin Gordon play for the Chargers in Week 1?

Yes 2/1
No 2/3

The Chargers want Gordon to play out his fifth-year option at $5.6 million this season, which is less than half of what is value would likely be on the open market. Then, provided he stays healthy, they'd likely try to franchise tag him, giving him a nice single-season raise but eschewing any long-term responsibility. For Gordon, that's a huge risk (he's 26, he's missed nine games in his career and he has already accumulated over 1,700 touches between college and the NFL).

That's why he's requested a trade despite the fact that the Chargers have all the leverage. The good news for Gordon is, San Diego likes Gordon's backups, Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, enough that they'd probably be open to moving Gordon if the return was right. If they don't Gordon appears pretty entrenched in his position to sit and that's why him not playing for the Chargers in Week 1 is the 2/3 favorite.

Will Ezekiel Elliott play for the Cowboys in Week 1?

Yes 2/3
No 2/1

The situation between the Cowboys and Elliott is surprisingly on more level footing despite the fact that the Cowboys have an extra year of control. That's because Elliott is significantly less expendable than Gordon. Both are great players, but the gap between Gordon and Ekeler looks negligible enough that it won't impact that bottom line significantly while there is a chasm between Elliott and his backups.

The Dallas offensive line is dominant and Morris (or any other back the Cowboys turn to) could have a very nice year if called upon. However, Elliott brings elite vision, power and burst to the table and he's an incredible receiver out of the backfield. The Cowboys made Elliott the clear focal point of their offense and they can't afford to not have him as a team that been in two tight playoff races (making it in 2018 and coming up short in 2017). That's why yes is the 2/3 favorite here.