Chuba Hubbard

It seems that the shared running back duties of Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle will stay in place for the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Dave Canales expressed admiration for what the duo accomplished on Sunday, when Hubbard returned from a two-game absence.

“It felt great for me to know, whoever I was calling the run for, I expect great execution out of these guys…”, he said.

While coach Canales stopped short of saying that there would be an even split of the carries as the season progresses, he declined to give a definitive answer. He said he liked the way the rotation of Hubbard (14 carries, two receptions) and Dowdle (17 carries, one reception) worked for the team with differing styles. Each is coming off seasons that broke the 1,000-yard milestone, with the former gaining 1,195 yards en route to a new contract with the Panthers, and the latter rushing for 1,079 with the Cowboys before signing with Carolina as a free agent.

Fantasy football managers were banging the table for Dowdle to take over the lead role after he amassed 473 yards from scrimmage (7.5 yards per carry) and a pair of touchdowns in the two tilts that Hubbard (calf strain) sat out. For his part, Hubbard had just 311 scrimmage yards in four games (4.2 YPC). Numbers aside, Dowdle looked infinitely more explosive than Hubbard has this season and seemed to run with purpose. Distant RB3, rookie Trevor Etienne, actually doubled his own touches during the two games that Dowdle was the “man in charge.”

What does it mean for the remainder of the 2025 season? Fantasy managers will keep a watchful eye on one of their RB1s as he begins this chapter of sharing the workload. He has the benefit of loyalty from the franchise and a new contract, but the fact remains that at this time, Dowdle is more suited for the starting role. Managers who had Dowdle stashed or beat everyone to the waiver wire will likely be laughing all the way to the bank, as it would appear that Hubbard’s touches will likely dwindle during the next several games.

Neither of the two can currently be trusted for touches or goal-line work in the meantime, although the sheer number of injuries at the position (combined with bye weeks) means many fantasy managers will be forced to play them and cross their fingers until one takes over the job. The Panthers have a home matchup Sunday with the Buffalo Bills and will likely be without quarterback Bryce Young, so it’s an opportunity for one or the other to step forward right off the bat.

Author: Samwise (@BuyAndSellYou)

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard aggravated his calf injury in Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots, according to Head Coach Dave Canales.  Hubbard who was questionable entering Week 4, played 51 percent of snaps but “Came out of the game with the calf worse than at this point last week,” Canales said.  He is considered day-to-day.

Hubbard is currently ranked RB15 on the season but has struggled to match his production from last year’s strong start.  He has averaged 4.08 yards per carry through four games but has yet to score a rushing touchdown, with his only two scores coming through the air.

The Panthers face Miami Dolphins in Week 5, and Hubbard’s status remains uncertain, for that I am benching him.  You don’t want to have the same thing as last week happen, where he only played half the game and aggravate it again.  If he does play expect RB30 finish on the week.

Author:  Jake Lewis (@Lewylewis5)

The Carolina Panthers extended Chuba Hubbard in November, added 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle in free agency, await a rehab stint for last year’s second-round pick, Jonathon Brooks, and still have Raheem Blackshear. That did not stop them from taking advantage of a deep running back class when they selected Trevor Etienne (Florida, Georgia) in the fourth round, No. 144 overall.

Etienne joins his brother, Travis (RB – JAX), in the NFL, though the younger sibling has a tougher road to NFL and fantasy relevance. He lacks some of the speed and power that Travis demonstrated when he took over the starting gig in Jacksonville. More telling is that Trevor is a less-efficient version of his older brother; that’s saying a lot as Travis is far from among the most efficient in the league.

Most concerning is Etienne’s path to playing time. Dowdle is on a one-year contract, but when he becomes a free agent, Brooks should have turned the corner from his ACL rehab. Hubbard is entrenched as the starter after an impressive 2024, leaving Etienne staring at third on the depth chart for the foreseeable future, barring an amazing camp.

Etienne wrapped his three-year career with 2,081 yards on the ground while catching 62 passes. He tacked on a booking for Driving Under the Influence and three other charges in 2024, leading some to question his character.

Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)

The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Chuba Hubbard on injured reserve due to a calf and knee injury. While the injury is not considered major, the team has decided to take a cautious approach to avoid further complications.

Hubbard, who has been a key contributor in the Panthers’ backfield, will now be sidelined for at least the next four weeks. Carolina made the official announcement shortly after the report, confirming the move.

The Panthers will likely rely on other running backs in Hubbard’s absence, as they look to maintain their offensive rhythm during his recovery. The team has yet to provide a definitive timeline for Hubbard’s return, but the priority will be ensuring his full recovery before his return to the field.

-Sagar

In a Carolina offense with few upside plays, Chuba Hubbard has dominated touches and become a league-winning running back. He carried the ball 25 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns versus the Cardinals Sunday, also catching four of five targets for another 13 yards. Hubbard is the RB2 in scoring in Week 16 going into Monday Night Football.

Bryce Young was another bright spot in this one, throwing for 158 yards and two touchdowns, as well running five times for 68 yards and another score. It was one of Young’s finest performances of his short career. He is the QB2 in fantasy scoring prior to Monday night’s game. With a low pass yards total, no pass catcher topped 50 yards, but both Adam Thielen and David Moore rewarded fantasy managers with a touchdown apiece.

– Joel Ybarra, @metaffb