Hubbard wasn't expected to make much of a Fantasy impact in 2023 but went on to earn the lead role in Carolina. From Week 6 on (when he took over the role), Hubbard finished just inside the RB2 range (RB24 in points per game) while averaging just under 20 touches per game. The Panthers selected RB Jonathon Brooks with early draft capital in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he is returning from a torn ACL he suffered midseason in his final year at Texas. Hubbard could open the season as a lead back and ultimately serve as an excellent option for zero or hero-RB roster builds. Hubbard typically comes off the board in the Rounds 13-15 range.
Hubbard should get plenty of touches with Jonathon Brooks (knee) out, but this is a tough matchup against the Saints on the road. Last year at New Orleans, Hubbard had 23 carries for 87 yards and two catches for 9 yards and scored 11.6 PPR points, which would make him a flex if he could replicate that level of production. The Saints were No. 9 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs last season, and Hubbard should be considered a flex at best in the most leagues.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Contrarian DFS Play
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Chuba Hubbard and Jerome Ford were the two biggest movers up when transitioning from full-season projections to Week 1 projections. They both project as top-15 backs for me this week, but Hubbard is $600 less than Ford, so he is my favorite cheap play at the position. He averaged 13.3 half PPR FPPG in his final seven games last year and played at least 64% of the offensive snaps in all of those games.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Locked in as September starter
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Hubbard's backfield mate Jonathon Brooks (knee) will miss at least the first four games of the regular season, ESPN.com's David Newton reports.
Brooks remains on the PUP list for the start of the season, having yet to practice with the Panthers since they took him 46th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. That leaves Hubbard as an incumbent starter with weak competition for backfield touches, albeit under a new coaching staff led by former Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales. The new coaches seemingly want Miles Sanders to have a role off the bench, but it's unclear if he'll get enough work to put a serious dent in Hubbard's fantasy value while Brooks is sidelined. Hubbard figures to make his 25th career NFL start in Week 1 at New Orleans.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Starting RB heading into season
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Hubbard rushed three times for 15 yards and wasn't targeted in Saturday's 31-26 preseason win over the Bills.
Hubbard played the opening drive with Carolina's other starters, while Miles Sanders mixed in later with the backups, suggesting that Hubbard occupies the top spot on the depth chart heading into the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Saints. Rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) could challenge for the starting job eventually, but Brooks isn't expected to be available until Week 3 at the earliest.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Practicing Tuesday
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Hubbard (knee) is practicing Tuesday, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
The running back returned to practice in short order after hurting his knee during Thursday's practice, as promised by coach Dave Canales. Testing afterward didn't reveal a significant injury, but Hubbard still sat out Saturday's 15-12 preseason loss to the Jets. He's expected to start Week 1 at the Saints, but Miles Sanders could see significant touches off the bench, and rookie second-round pick Jonathan Brooks (knee) figures to be a big factor in Carolina's backfield at some point this season.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Cleared for practice
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Coach Dave Canales said after Saturday's 15-12 preseason loss to the Jets that Hubbard's knee checked out, and the running back will return to practice this week, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hubbard has yet to play through two exhibitions, but his absence Saturday stemmed from a knee injury that he sustained during Thursday's joint practice with the Jets. Fortunately for the RB, he'll be able to mix into drills in the near future, and once he does he should be Carolina's No. 1 backfield option to begin the upcoming season due to second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks' continued recovery from a torn ACL that he suffered back in November.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Injures knee at practice
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Coach Dave Canales said Thursday that there were "big concerns" when Hubbard (knee) went down at practice "but initial testing looks good," Kassidy Hill of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hubbard was looked at by trainers after taking a hit at practice, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press, and while the fourth-year pro got up and remained near the field, he didn't resume handling reps. It looks like initial tests haven't indicated an overly severe issue, but that Panthers will doubtless continue to monitor Hubbard's health. He sat out last week's preseason opener against New England and figures to also be held out of Saturday's exhibition matchup against the Jets.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Not suiting up Thursday
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Hubbard isn't in line to play in Thursday's preseason game at New England, Kassidy Hill of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hubbard will be joined in street clothes by fellow running backs Jonathon Brooks, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, leaving Mike Boone, Jaden Shirden and Dillon Johnson as the options available out of Carolina's backfield. Hubbard is expected to be the team's top RB to begin the 2024 campaign due to Brooks, a rookie second-round pick, still being in recovery mode from a torn ACL that he suffered last November. In 2023, Hubbard put together a career-best 1,135 yards from scrimmage while scoring five rushing touchdowns on 277 touches in 17 regular-season contests.
The Panthers took Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, potentially giving Hubbard competition for the starting job, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Hubbard was positioned to enter Week 1 as a starter for the first time in his pro career, and while he's still the favorite for that task, competition for snaps in the Carolina backfield just got much stiffer. The Panthers took Brooks with the 46th overall pick, making him the first running back drafted in 2024, 20 selections before Trey Benson. They also still have Miles Sanders, who was a massive bust in the first season of his four-year contract but has a guaranteed $4.02 million salary for 2024. It's a situation where Hubbard's projection as the Week 1 starter might not mean much in terms of fantasy expectations for the full season, especially if reports continue to be positive on Brooks' rehab from the ACL tear he suffered Nov. 11.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Workhorse role to finish season
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Hubbard rushed 23 times for 83 yards and brought in both targets for nine yards in the Panthers' 9-0 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
As has typically been the case during the latter portion of the season, Hubbard handled the clear lead-back role and furnished his fourth tally of more than 80 rushing yards in the final six games, which all came in conjunction with 20-plus-carry workloads. Hubbard set new career bests with 902 rushing yards and 233 receiving yards across 17 games on the campaign, sending him into the offseason with plenty of momentum.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Eclipses 70 total yards in loss
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Hubbard rushed 11 times for 45 yards and secured four of five targets for 26 yards in the Panthers' 26-0 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Hubbard didn't have anywhere near the opportunities he'd enjoyed in several recent games, with the Panthers' inability to keep up with the Jaguars helping to neutralize the ground game. Hubbard's carry total was his lowest since Week 11, and he'll have one more opportunity to put together a productive effort in what has been a solid 2023 campaign when Carolina hosts the Buccaneers in Week 18.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Cleared for Sunday
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Hubbard (hamstring) was as full practice participant Friday and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Jacksonville.
The Panthers listed Hubbard as limited Wednesday and Thursday but apparently liked what they saw in practice and don't have any doubts about his Week 16 availability. He has a five-game streak with at least 64 percent snap share, 14 carries, 17 touches and 11.6 PPR points, piling up 446 yards and four TDs in that span.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Limited again Thursday
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Hubbard (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
As was the case Wednesday, Hubbard is operating with a cap on his reps due to a hamstring issue one day later, while fellow running back Miles Sanders practiced without limitations due to a toe concern. Hubbard thus has one more chance to get back to all activity this week before the Panthers potentially give him an injury designation ahead of Sunday's game in Jacksonville.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Heavy workload in Week 16 loss
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Hubbard rushed 16 times for 43 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for eight yards in the Panthers' 33-30 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Hubbard once again had the backfield work early mostly to himself, outpacing Miles Sanders by 13 carries. However, he found surprisingly tough sledding against a Packers defense that had been frequently vulnerable to the run, but he managed to salvage his fantasy day with a four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that served as his fifth of the campaign and tied his career high. Hubbard next takes aim at a tough Jaguars run defense in a Week 17 road matchup New Year's Eve.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: RBs to Start
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Hubbard once again had a solid outing in Week 15 against Atlanta with 22 carries for 87 yards and two catches for 16 yards on two targets. He's now scored at least 11.6 PPR points in four games in a row, and he's averaging 16.6 PPR points over that span. This week, Hubbard is taking on a Packers defense that has been awful against running backs since Week 10. Over that six-game span, seven running backs have scored at least 11.3 PPR points, with three in a row scoring at least 21.3 PPR points. Green Bay has allowed seven total touchdowns and five running backs to gain at least 95 total yards during that stretch. Hubbard should be considered a quality No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues in Week 16.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Over 100 total yards in win
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Hubbard rushed 22 times for 87 yards and secured both targets for 16 yards in the Panthers' 9-7 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
Hubbard outpaced Miles Sanders by 16 carries in the victory and parlayed the opportunity into his second straight 87-yard tally on the ground. The second-year back also recorded multiple catches for the seventh time in the last eight games, and he's now logged over 20 rush attempts in three straight contests. Hubbard heads into a Week 16 home matchup against the Packers' porous run defense with the lead job firmly in hand.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Sleeper RBs
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The Falcons are the only team in the NFL yet to allow a running back to score a touchdown on the ground. We'll see if Hubbard can crack the code, and Hubbard should be considered a borderline starter in all leagues. He's scored at least 11.6 PPR points in three games in a row, including two outings with at least 20.2 PPR points. In his past two games against Tampa Bay and New Orleans, Hubbard has 48 carries for 191 yards and two touchdowns and two catches for 9 yards on two targets. With Thomas Brown calling plays for the Panthers, Hubbard has excelled, and that should continue in Week 15 against the Falcons.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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The Falcons are the only team in the NFL yet to allow a running back to score a touchdown on the ground. We'll see if Hubbard can crack the code, and Hubbard should be considered a borderline starter in all leagues. He's scored at least 11.6 PPR points in three games in a row, including two outings with at least 20.2 PPR points. In his past two games against Tampa Bay and New Orleans, Hubbard has 48 carries for 191 yards and two touchdowns and two catches for 9 yards on two targets. With Thomas Brown calling plays for the Panthers, Hubbard has excelled, and that should continue in Week 15 against the Falcons.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Sleeper RBs
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Hubbard has been great the past two games against Tennessee and Tampa Bay with at least 20.2 PPR points in each outing. Over that span, he has 39 carries for 149 yards and three touchdowns and five catches for 47 yards on five targets. With Thomas Brown calling plays for the Panthers, Hubbard has excelled, and the Saints have become a favorable matchup of late. New Orleans has allowed a running back to score in three games in a row, with David Montgomery and Bijan Robinson each scoring at least 12.5 PPR points against the Saints in the past two weeks. Hubbard is worth using as a flex in all leagues in Week 14.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Carries offense in Week 13 loss
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Hubbard carried the ball 25 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Buccaneers.
Facing a stout Tampa Bay front seven, Hubbard punched home a pair of one-yard TDs en route to his first 100-yard game of the season and the third of his career. The 25 totes were also a career high for Hubbard, while Miles Sanders managed only 29 scrimmage yards on nine touches, a clear sign that interim head coach Chris Tabor isn't interested in maintaining the backfield timeshare Frank Reich had been deploying. Hubbard figures to see a big workload again in Week 14 against the Saints.
