After the Chicago Bears beat the Washington Commanders on Thursday night, there is only one winless team remaining in the NFL. That is the Carolina Panthers after they lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 21-13.
One of the biggest offseason free agent signings for Carolina was Miles Sanders. However, he is off to a slow start, and the Panthers could be looking at a move.
Last week in their loss to the Vikings, Chuba Hubbard had more carries. With that in mind, which Panthers running back should fantasy football managers have in their lineup?
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Miles Sanders Fantasy Outlook This Week
The number of carries for the Panthers’ running back duo was close, but that isn’t good if you are Sanders. In the first game of the year, Sanders had 18 carries for 75 yards but hasn’t come close to having that type of game.
Entering last Sunday, Sanders had 41 carries on the year, while Hubbard had just 12. Carolina had something going with Hubbard against the Vikings, as he had 14 carries. Yet, neither of the backs had a ton of success, with Hubbard tallying 41 yards while Sanders had 13 carries for 19 yards.
The offensive line has struggled and will be facing the best run defense in the league. The Detroit Lions allow only 60.8 yards per game on the ground.
Chuba Hubbard Fantasy Outlook This Week
When the Panthers signed Sanders, it was widely expected that Hubbard would be the No. 2 RB with no controversy. However, after Sunday’s game, there is at least some evidence that suggests something is changing.
In the first three weeks, Sanders was on the field for at least 57% of the time. Hubbard, on the other hand, has been under 38% of the snaps in all three games. The number almost flipped completely, as Hubbard was on the field for 54% of the snaps and Sanders for 43%.
Both of these running backs are solid catching the ball, as Sanders has 15 catches compared to Hubbard’s 11.
Which of the Panthers RBs Should You Start?
First and foremost, if you have other options, those players should be used. Neither of these running backs feels like they will have a big game, and there should be others with better matchups.
However, if you are stuck and have to go with a Panthers running back, Sanders is the guy.
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Sanders is currently RB23 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, while Hubbard is RB35. Neither of these running backs is looking at anything more than a Flex best-case scenario this week. Last week’s contest had a certain flow to it, and Hubbard just happened to be the guy to benefit.
It was one week, and it’s too early to think Hubbard has supplemented Sanders as the go-to back.
