Chuba Hubbard was one of the great value plays in recent fantasy memory before falling apart a year later. Now the Carolina backfield has shuffled again, and the market has swung hard in another direction. The setup starting to form looks awfully familiar. Fantasy managers may want to take a closer look at the veteran.
Should I Draft Chuba Hubbard in Fantasy Football?
Slight brag incoming, but there is a reason for it. I promise.
In 2024, I won two fantasy leagues due in large part to drafting Hubbard. The logic was simple. We knew for certain he would start for the Carolina Panthers for at least the first month of the season while rookie Jonathon Brooks worked his way back from a torn ACL. Hubbard was virtually free in drafts. Even if he delivered RB2 production for nothing more than those four weeks, he was worth the pick. And if Brooks’ recovery went poorly, I might stumble into a season-long RB2.
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That is exactly what happened, except the outcome blew past my highest expectations. Hubbard averaged 16.1 fantasy points per game, which is legitimate RB1 production. That is the definition of a league winner.
Then last year the price caught up. Hubbard was the established lead back fresh off a contract extension, and he simply was not worth paying for at that cost. He struggled, got hurt, and watched Rico Dowdle take his job. He finished with just a 42% opportunity share and a paltry 4.5 yards per touch, while his evaded tackles per touch rate ranked outside the top 50.
Hubbard was bad. He also admitted he rushed back from his calf injury, likely because he saw the writing on the wall with how well Dowdle was playing. Worth noting too: by the tail end of the season, Hubbard had worked himself back into a more significant role than the pure backup job he held in the middle of the year.
Now Dowdle is gone, and the Brooks hype train has fully left the station. Despite having all of 12 career touches, Brooks has flipped Hubbard in ADP. I do think Carolina wants Brooks to be the guy. What that sentiment has done, though, is push Hubbard’s price way down.
He will not be as cheap as he was in 2024, but the parallels are growing. Are we sure Brooks is the same player he was before tearing his ACL twice? Are we sure he can stay healthy? Those are exactly the questions that made this bet work two years ago.
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I will be honest about the drawback. I do not particularly want to invest in a Panthers offense projecting as one of the lower-scoring teams in the league. That is a real cap on the upside here.
Hubbard is my RB34, a couple of spots behind his RB32 ADP. I am supremely confident he opens the season as the Week 1 starter. If I can grab him as my RB4, I am making the same bet I made in 2024 and seeing where it goes.
Katz’s RB Fantasy Rankings 2026
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- James Cook III | BUF
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Chase Brown | CIN
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- De'Von Achane | MIA
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- D'Andre Swift | CHI
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jonathon Brooks | CAR
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Blake Corum | LAR
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Rachaad White | WAS
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Dylan Sampson | CLE
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Tyjae Spears | TEN
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL
- Tank Bigsby | PHI
- Jonah Coleman | DEN
