After the Carolina Panthers aggressively went after running back Miles Sanders in free agency last offseason, Chuba Hubbard’s breakout 2023 season was not something every fantasy football manager saw coming after his first two disappointing seasons in the NFL.
The organization hired a new head coach and was the first team to draft a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, which puts Hubbard’s fantasy outlook heading into the season in limbo approaching fantasy drafts.
Should You Select Chuba Hubbard at His Current ADP?
PPR Industry Consensus ADP: 146th Overall (RB44)
- Impressive 2023 Season: Hubbard’s breakout season in 2023 was a pleasant surprise, finishing as the RB27 with 902 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and 233 receiving yards on 39 receptions. From Week 6 onward, he was the RB19, having taken over the lead role from Miles Sanders.
- Volume-Driven Success: While Hubbard’s fantasy success last season was notable, it was largely volume-driven. His efficiency metrics were less impressive, with 3.79 yards per carry, 1.7 yards after contact per attempt, 4.1 yards per touch, and 0.87 yards per route run, all ranking outside the top 30 at the RB position.
- Offensive Challenges: Some of Hubbard’s inefficiencies can be attributed to playing behind a subpar offensive line and in a struggling Panthers offense that ranked last in the league with just 36 red zone trips. This limited his scoring opportunities and overall production.
- New Competition in 2024: The Panthers selected Texas RB Jonathon Brooks with the 46th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, signaling a potential shift in the backfield dynamics. While Hubbard may have the inside track to start the season, Brooks’ draft capital suggests he will play a significant role, especially once he fully recovers from his knee injury.
- Potential Timeshare: As Brooks is eased into the offense, a timeshare between Hubbard and the rookie is likely. This scenario caps Hubbard’s upside and raises concerns about his long-term fantasy value for the season.
- ADP Analysis: Hubbard’s ADP of RB44 at No. 146 overall makes him a late-round flier. Given his potential role at the start of the season, this price point is reasonable. However, his upside is limited unless Brooks is delayed by injury or isn’t ready for the season opener.
- Final Verdict: Hubbard offers short-term value as a potential starter, but his long-term outlook is uncertain due to Brooks’ presence. As a 13th-round pick, he’s not a bad choice, but fantasy managers should temper expectations and consider him as a stopgap option rather than a season-long solution.
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PFN Consensus PPR Fantasy Ranking for Chuba Hubbard
Note that these rankings are the PFN Consensus Rankings and may not fully match my analysis. Since Hubbard is ranked outside the top 75 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, we’ve listed the consensus RB rankings instead.Â
38) Trey Benson, RB | Arizona Cardinals
39) Chase Brown, RB | Cincinnati Bengals
40) Zach Charbonnet, RB | Seattle Seahawks
41) Jerome Ford, RB | Cleveland Browns
42) Blake Corum, RB | Los Angeles Rams
43) Chuba Hubbard, RB | Carolina Panthers
44) Antonio Gibson, RB | New England Patriots
45) Rico Dowdle, RB | Dallas Cowboys
46) Jaleel McLaughlin, RB | Denver Broncos
47) Tyler Allgeier, RB | Atlanta Falcons
48) Ty Chandler, RB | Minnesota Vikings
Chuba Hubbard’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
Running backs who have failed to emerge as fantasy producers through the first couple of years in the NFL can be easy to overlook on draft day. Yet, Hubbard’s breakout season over the back half of last season certainly caught the attention of fantasy managers in 2023.
Outside of Adam Thielen, Hubbard’s RB27 fantasy finish — with 902 rushing yards, five scores, and 233 receiving yards on 39 receptions — was one of the very few bright spots of this Panthers’ offense last year.
Sure, his RB27 status was nice considering the struggles of the offense as a whole, but one could make an argument he was a bit better than this number when you provide some context. Hubbard swiped the feature role away from Sanders with his 16 fantasy points back in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins and never really looked back.
In fact, from Week 6 through the rest of the season, Hubbard was the RB19. He was everything fantasy managers hoped Sanders would be in 2023.
Now, it’s worth mentioning that Hubbard’s fantasy value came from his volume as opposed to his exceptional play. His substandard 3.79 yards per carry and just 1.7 yards after contact per attempt were similar to what we saw from Sanders in 2023. Additionally, Hubbard’s 4.1 yards per touch and 0.87 yards per route run both ranked outside of the top 30 at the RB position.
Some of these numbers could be excused by playing behind a below-average offensive line and an offense that couldn’t sustain drives with rookie QB Bryce Young. The Panthers ranked tied for dead last in the league with just 36 trips to the red zone last year. That type of offensive inefficiency is tough for any back to overcome.
If Carolina had kept this backfield status quo heading into this season, then it could have been easier to project a nice jump in production. Instead, the Panthers were the first team to select a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft by spending the 46th pick on talented Texas RB Jonathon Brooks.
This type of draft capital suggests Carolina sees Brooks as a major contributor to this backfield in the short and long term.
Hubbard will likely have the inside track to touches and snaps to start the season. Meanwhile, the Panthers will ease Brooks into the offense following his knee injury. Yet, the two could find themselves in a timeshare once the talented rookie showcases he’s healthy enough to see an expanded role.
Is Hubbard a Good Value in Fantasy Drafts?
Hubbard’s ADP of No. 146 overall (RB44) suggests he’s a late-round flier, which certainly means he isn’t a bad pick in the 13th round of your fantasy draft.
If anything, Hubbard’s potential role to start the year makes this a nice price point. Yet, his upside feels pretty capped once Brooks returns. However, we now know that will not be until at least Week 5.
Either way, Hubbard is on borrowed time as the starting running back in Carolina — which makes his fantasy outlook a bleak one entering the 2024 NFL season.
