Trevor Etienne

Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks is considered week-to-week after re-aggravating the groin injury he injured late in training camp. This is certainly frustrating for the 2024 second-round pick and fantasy football managers alike, as Brooks was finally healthy in camp after two ACL tears and was a popular sleeper pick to overtake Chuba Hubbard to lead the Panthers backfield this year.

This further cements Chuba Hubbard as the lead back in Carolina after his strong start to the year. With Trevor Etienne on IR with an ankle injury, AJ Dillon will be next up to get in some work to spell Hubbard. Fantasy football managers will need to stay tuned for further updates on Brooks’ status after he gets further opinions on the groin injury.

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.

Trevor Etienne begins 2026 on injured reserve after logging an empty 20-carry, 94-yard rookie season, further boosting confidence in Jonathon Brooks. His 18.0-percent College Dominator Rating (33rd percentile) profile as an undersized specialist rather than a workload commander. Carolina will roll with AJ Dillon as the team’s RB3.

Day 3 picks getting stashed on Injured Reserve is never a good sign. Expect a fringe role in Carolina’s backfield even once he returns, leaving him strictly off the redraft radar. Etienne also loses fantasy football dynasty stash appeal with this unfortunate move.

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.