The Carolina Panthers offense is going to be in for a battle in Week 11, as the Dallas Cowboys and their elite defense will be coming into town. The Cowboys are currently ranked third on total defense (275.1 yards per game) and have made life extremely difficult against average offenses this year.
With that said, which of the Panthers’ running backs — Chuba Hubbard or Miles Sanders — should fantasy football managers consider starting this week? Let’s break down the numbers for each player.
Should You Start Chuba Hubbard or Miles Sanders This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Hubbard is the player to start. His projected 9.5 points include 45 rushing yards, two catches, and 21 receiving yards. That projected stat line vastly outperforms the consensus projections of Sanders’ 5.1 points.
When you look at the last few games, it’s a no-brainer that Hubbard should be in your fantasy lineup in Week 11.
Fantasy Outlook for Hubbard This Week
Hubbard was figured to be the backup after Sanders was coming off a career-high 1,254 yards and 11 touchdowns as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Sanders was signed in the offseason to be the RB1, but Hubbard has taken his job and has been very good at times this year.
MORE: Katz’ Week 11 RB Start/Sit
Back in Week 6, he rushed for a season-high 88 yards against the Miami Dolphins — the third-highest rushing total of Hubbard’s career.
He entered last week with at least 15 carries in each of Carolina’s last three games, but he had only nine carries for 23 yards in the loss last week to the Chicago Bears.
It has been tough for both running backs at times, as Hubbard is averaging only 3.7 yards per carry. It has been even worse for Sanders, though, as he is averaging 0.5 fewer yards.
One area in which Hubbard has an advantage is that he is earning more playing time than Sanders. Hubbard was only on the field for 50% of the Panthers’ offensive snaps last week, but that was still more than Sanders (38%), and it was also the fifth time in the last six games that Hubbard participated in at least half of Carolina’s offensive snaps.
Hubbard’s also made plays in the passing game, as he has two catches in seven of his nine contests this season.
Fantasy Outlook for Sanders This Week
Nobody saw this coming in the offseason, as there were people who thought that Sanders had top-10 upside at the position. However, what we are seeing is that the Eagles’ offensive line and Jalen Hurts made things much easier for Sanders to be successful.
Last week against the Bears, Sanders had only two carries for five yards while catching two passes for 15 yards. The usage simply isn’t there.
In defense of Sanders, he has had to deal with a variety of injuries this season. He has had to battle injuries on his shoulder, groin, and neck.
That said, last week was his third game back, and he could only get those four touches. Expect that trend to continue.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
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