Chuba Hubbard broke out in 2024 with 250 attempts for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns, ultimately seizing the job and earning himself a 3 year contract. Of course, fantasy gamers will remember a disappointing 2025 campaign hampered by a calf strain that saw Chuba ultimately lose his job to Rico Dowdle down the stretch. Now healthy, with Dowdle in Pittsburgh it appears as though the coaching staff is once again ready to give Hubbard the majority of the carries.
The larger story is Jonathon Brooks failing to separate himself in the Panthers’ backfield competition this summer. Fantasy managers banking on the younger, higher-draft-capital back to immediately seize control of the backfield may find themselves disappointed out of the gate. Backfield ambiguity has aligned Hubbard (RB36) and Brooks’ (RB31) redraft valuations for seasonal fantasy football leagues, but the real divergence lies in dynasty formats, where PlayerProfiler favors the younger Brooks’ unrealized upside over the veteran Hubbard by a 2X Lifetime Value Rating.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) ...
On the Carolina Panthers' Week 1 unofficial 53-man depth ...
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is no stranger...
Chuba Hubbard is still working his way back from the hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since mid August, but if the 27 year old is ready for Week 1, expect him to share the backfield with Jonathon Brooks, who finally appears healthy after an injury riddled start to his NFL career.
The problem? An RBBC could be a fantasy nightmare. Neither back is likely to have a clear path to consistent volume early in the season, leaving fantasy managers guessing at who gets the touches. If Canales does deploy both backs, fantasy managers need to watch the first few games closely for any indication of how the workload is being divided. Brooks is currently ranked five spots higher on PlayerProfiler’s RB Rankings.
The Panthers’ backfield just got a whole lot more interesting, as “week to week” often means “month to month.” Chuba Hubbard’s injury opens the door for Jonathon Brooks, who is now primed to take over the Panthers’ starting RB role while Hubbard is sidelined. This is a massive opportunity for Brooks to prove he can handle a lead back workload.
For fantasy football, expect Hubbard’s ADP to slide while Brooks’ stock climbs. If Brooks looks explosive with the first team, he could quickly become one of the biggest late round risers of the draft season.
Kaye also mentioned that Trevor Etienne “also got his fair share of reps, and he worked with the starters as well in the running back rotation.” However, the lead story is Jonathon Brooks taking first-team reps at Carolina Panthers training camp, which signals that Brooks will be involved early this season and the Panthers’ backfield will be specialist committee much to Chuba Hubbard‘s chagrin.
Armed with second-round draft capital, a 75th-percentile 6.1 College Yards Per Carry, and a 41.7-percent Juke Rate, Brooks boasts the metric profile required to command a workhorse role. Fantasy gamers need to overpay for Brooks as his market value will be correcting over the next couple weeks with a featured workload on the horizon. At just 23.0 years of age, Brooks is particularly value in dynasty league formats.
While Wolfe is very bullish on Jonathon Brooks, the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye thinks Chuba Hubbard “can still be a workhorse,” but he will likely lose touches as the season progresses. The concern for fantasy gamers is Brooks is essentially a walking medical case study after consecutive ACL tears completely wiped out his 2025 season.
Brooks’ talent is undeniable, flashing a 75th-percentile 6.1 College Yards Per Carry and an elite 41.7-percent Juke Rate in his microscopic three-game rookie sample. If he can stay on the field through training camp, his draft capital and underlying profile make him the ultimate high-variance stash to target late in drafts.
Hubbard has also been productive when healthy, and best ball enthusiasts clearly need exposure to this backfield at current ADP valuations. Outside best ball, this situation is the strongest case for handcuffing running backs, especially in fantasy football dynasty leagues.
The Panthers’ choice to replace Rico Dowdle with only AJ Dillon suggests confidence in Jonathon Brooks’ ability to contribute behind starter Chuba Hubbard in 2026.
While Brooks will compete with Trevor Etienne for snaps, his outlook is clouded by a difficult recovery from two ACL tears. Because of these recurring injuries, fantasy football managers are maintaining a skeptical approach toward his value this season. Now is the time to acquire Brooks in dynasty leagues before the athletic workhorse back secures a key role in the offense.
