Chuba Hubbard’s fantasy football stock spiked after a massive 2024 campaign (1,195 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns), but managers who spent up looking for a repeat in 2025 were left wanting more as Rico Dowdle controlled the Carolina backfield.
He’s going to enter this season as the Panthers’ bell cow, but his ADP reflects hesitation about getting burned again. Has his cost dropped to a point where the risk is more than baked in, thus leaving you with plenty of room to win in a big way?
Should You Draft Chuba Hubbard in Fantasy Football?
Last season was a disaster, and there is no two ways about that. Despite Bryce Young taking a step forward, Hubbard didn’t come along for the ride. He posted just three top-24 finishes and averaged a career-low 0.42 PPR points per rush. There was nothing in the way of explosive potential (6% of his carries picked up 10+ yards), and with just one touchdown on the ground, it was a lost season.
That’s all true. But it’s also true that these teams get to see these players more than we do, and Carolina didn’t pursue re-upping Dowdle (two years, $12.25 million with the Steelers). At some level, that means they were confident in what they had in-house, and that’s a start.
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Let’s not forget that Hubbard had three receiving scores a season ago (career prior: two) despite filling the RB2 role. Sure, the rate of scoring on those plays will vary from year to year, but two of those three saw him pick up over 20 yards after the reception, and that’s a skill set that we love to chase.
No one is going to confuse Hubbard for Bijan Robinson in terms of fluidity as a receiver, but I have to think that he impressed the franchise last season (18.3% of his touches were receptions, up from 14.4% in the two years prior). With this team spending the 19th overall pick on OT Monroe Freeling (Georgia), it’s not hard to like the trajectory of this backfield.
Jonathan Brooks is, of course, the moving piece in all of this, and as his ADP rises, it stands to reason that Hubbard’s will bottom out. He’s easy to root for, and the story alone is going to generate positive headlines and reports. Leverage that.
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Brooks might be healthy. Brooks might be able to stay healthy. Brooks might be an NFL-ready back. Those are a lot of “mights,” and given his injury profile, there’s a world in which he checks all of the needed boxes and still doesn’t get into a spot where he’s entering weeks with a 10+ touch expectation.
Brooks still has another year on his rookie deal, and I think it’s logical to believe that if he is going to prove himself as a future RB1, we’ll see it more in 2027 than 2026 as he attempts to get his professional legs under him. This could be a great story; I just don’t think it’s fully a 2026 story.
Opportunity cost is also a factor to consider in this situation.
At ESPN right now, drafting Hubbard means you’ve passed on a pair of veteran receivers that I personally have no real interest in this year (Mike Evans and DK Metcalf). No fantasy draft is going to be perfect.
Everyone comes with their own runs and reaches, steals, and sleepers. That said, avoiding a mistake should be viewed as a step toward a championship, even if it’s not the type of selection that gets a strong reaction within the draft room.
Preseason Fantasy RB Rankings
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- James Cook III | BUF
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Chase Brown | CIN
- De’Von Achane | MIA
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- D’Andre Swift | CHI
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Blake Corum | LAR
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Rachaad White | WAS
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Jonathon Brooks | CAR
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
- Isiah Pacheco | DET
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Tyjae Spears | TEN
- Nick Singleton | TEN
- Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL
