Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Stands out in lopsided loss
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Hubbard rushed 13 times for 97 yards and a touchdown and brought in all four targets for minus-2 yards in the Panthers' 36-10 loss to the Bears on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
The Panthers had their first truly pedestrian performance with Andy Dalton under center, but Hubbard continued to prove himself the most consistent member of the team's offense with another highly efficient rushing performance. Hubbard fell just short of his third straight 100-yard performance, but he recorded a rushing TD for the second consecutive game on an exciting 38-yard run in the first quarter to open the scoring on the afternoon. Hubbard didn't have a productive day as a receiver from a yardage standpoint, but he now has at least four receptions in four consecutive games heading into a Week 6 home divisional battle versus the Falcons.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: RBs to Start
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Hubbard delivered as the Start of the Week in Week 4 against the Bengals with 18 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 17 yards on four targets. He's now scored at least 22.1 PPR points in each of the past two games started by Andy Dalton, and Hubbard got good news this week that the Panthers aren't ready to make Jonathon Brooks (knee) active. The matchup against the Bears isn't scary since Chicago is No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Hubbard once again has top-10 upside in all leagues in Week 5.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Top DFS Play
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They are not adjusting Hubbard's price fast enough. In two games with Andy Dalton at quarterback, Hubbard has 48 touches for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Only Derrick Henry and Kyren Williams have scored more Fantasy points. Hubbard should be ranked and priced as a top-12 running back even with a mediocre matchup against the Chicago Bears.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Another 100-yard performance Sunday
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Hubbard rushed 18 times for 104 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Bengals. He added four receptions on four targets for 17 yards.
The fourth-year running back's fantasy relevance has skyrocketed since Andy Dalton took over for Bryce Young in Week 3. Hubbard has now accumulated 290 yards from scrimmage, including back-to-back 100-plus yard rushing performances, and scored two touchdowns over Carolina's last two contests. He managed to dominate Sunday despite the game script favoring the air attack, with the Panthers trailing by as many as 17 points in the second half. Hubbard is expected to continue producing with Dalton at the helm, but he could see some of his workload reduced when Jonathon Brooks (knee) returns from injury in the next couple weeks.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Start of the Week
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The Panthers changed quarterbacks from Bryce Young to Andy Dalton in Week 3, and everything looked better with this Carolina offense at Las Vegas. Hubbard was extremely impressive with 21 carries for 114 yards, and he added five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown on five targets for 27.9 PPR points. He should have the chance for another standout game in Week 4 against the Bengals, who have allowed three running backs to score at least 13.7 PPR points this season. Two running backs have gained at least 100 total yards against Cincinnati, and the Bengals have allowed three running backs to score touchdowns. This could be Hubbard's last game as the starting running back with Jonathon Brooks (knee) eligible to come off the NFI list in Week 5, so hopefully Hubbard goes out with a bang. I like him as a borderline No. 1 running back in all leagues.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Contrarian DFS Play
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No one gets too excited to start an underdog on a low-scoring team at running back. But I mostly believe in the Hubbard we saw in Week 3 with Andy Dalton at quarterback. I also believe this Bengals defense is one of the best matchups in the NFL for a running back. Hubbard should see a minimum of 15 highly-efficient touches and will be the best value on the slate if he gets into the end zone again.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Racks up 169 total yards
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Hubbard rushed the ball 21 times for 114 yards in Sunday's 36-22 win over the Raiders. He added five receptions on five targets for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Like most of the Carolina skill-position players, Hubbard benefited significantly from Andy Dalton taking over as the starting quarterback. He dominated touches during competitive portions of the game -- though Miles Sanders found the end zone in garbage time -- and tallied Carolina's first touchdown of the day on a five-yard catch. In addition to opportunity, Hubbard was also efficient. Only six of his 21 carries went for fewer than four yards, and he also had a long reception of 20 yards. With Jonathon Brooks (knee) out at least one more game, Hubbard should see plenty of volume once again in Week 4 against Cincinnati.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Sleeper RBs
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Hubbard looked better in Week 2 against the Chargers (11.6 PPR points) than he did in Week 1 at New Orleans (1.4 PPR points), and things should be trending up for the Panthers offense with Andy Dalton starting for Bryce Young. It was great to see Hubbard involved in the passing game against the Chargers with four catches for 12 yards on five targets, and hopefully, that becomes a staple of the offense moving forward. This week, Hubbard should be considered a solid flex option against the Raiders, who have allowed a running back to score at least 16.6 PPR points in each of the first two games with J.K. Dobbins and Derrick Henry.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: RBs to Sit
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Hubbard (54 percent) played more snaps than Miles Sanders (37 percent) in Week 1 at New Orleans, but both nearly had equal touches and production. Hubbard finished with six carries for 14 yards and no targets, and Sanders had five carries for 22 yards and two targets. It was ugly, and this Panthers offense will be tough to trust heading into Week 2 against the Chargers, who just shut down Zamir White in Week 1. I was hoping Hubbard would be a good replacement option until Jonathon Brooks (knee) is ready to play, but if Week 1 was any indication, you can't use Hubbard as even a flex in deeper leagues.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: RBs to Sit
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Hubbard should get plenty of touches with Jonathon Brooks (knee) out, but this is a tough matchup against the Saints on the road. Last year at New Orleans, Hubbard had 23 carries for 87 yards and two catches for 9 yards and scored 11.6 PPR points, which would make him a flex if he could replicate that level of production. The Saints were No. 9 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs last season, and Hubbard should be considered a flex at best in the most leagues.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Contrarian DFS Play
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Chuba Hubbard and Jerome Ford were the two biggest movers up when transitioning from full-season projections to Week 1 projections. They both project as top-15 backs for me this week, but Hubbard is $600 less than Ford, so he is my favorite cheap play at the position. He averaged 13.3 half PPR FPPG in his final seven games last year and played at least 64% of the offensive snaps in all of those games.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Starting RB heading into season
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Hubbard rushed three times for 15 yards and wasn't targeted in Saturday's 31-26 preseason win over the Bills.
Hubbard played the opening drive with Carolina's other starters, while Miles Sanders mixed in later with the backups, suggesting that Hubbard occupies the top spot on the depth chart heading into the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Saints. Rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) could challenge for the starting job eventually, but Brooks isn't expected to be available until Week 3 at the earliest.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Cleared for practice
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Coach Dave Canales said after Saturday's 15-12 preseason loss to the Jets that Hubbard's knee checked out, and the running back will return to practice this week, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hubbard has yet to play through two exhibitions, but his absence Saturday stemmed from a knee injury that he sustained during Thursday's joint practice with the Jets. Fortunately for the RB, he'll be able to mix into drills in the near future, and once he does he should be Carolina's No. 1 backfield option to begin the upcoming season due to second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks' continued recovery from a torn ACL that he suffered back in November.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Injures knee at practice
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Coach Dave Canales said Thursday that there were "big concerns" when Hubbard (knee) went down at practice "but initial testing looks good," Kassidy Hill of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hubbard was looked at by trainers after taking a hit at practice, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press, and while the fourth-year pro got up and remained near the field, he didn't resume handling reps. It looks like initial tests haven't indicated an overly severe issue, but that Panthers will doubtless continue to monitor Hubbard's health. He sat out last week's preseason opener against New England and figures to also be held out of Saturday's exhibition matchup against the Jets.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Not suiting up Thursday
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Hubbard isn't in line to play in Thursday's preseason game at New England, Kassidy Hill of the Panthers' official site reports.
Hubbard will be joined in street clothes by fellow running backs Jonathon Brooks, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, leaving Mike Boone, Jaden Shirden and Dillon Johnson as the options available out of Carolina's backfield. Hubbard is expected to be the team's top RB to begin the 2024 campaign due to Brooks, a rookie second-round pick, still being in recovery mode from a torn ACL that he suffered last November. In 2023, Hubbard put together a career-best 1,135 yards from scrimmage while scoring five rushing touchdowns on 277 touches in 17 regular-season contests.
The Panthers took Jonathon Brooks (knee) in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, potentially giving Hubbard competition for the starting job, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Hubbard was positioned to enter Week 1 as a starter for the first time in his pro career, and while he's still the favorite for that task, competition for snaps in the Carolina backfield just got much stiffer. The Panthers took Brooks with the 46th overall pick, making him the first running back drafted in 2024, 20 selections before Trey Benson. They also still have Miles Sanders, who was a massive bust in the first season of his four-year contract but has a guaranteed $4.02 million salary for 2024. It's a situation where Hubbard's projection as the Week 1 starter might not mean much in terms of fantasy expectations for the full season, especially if reports continue to be positive on Brooks' rehab from the ACL tear he suffered Nov. 11.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Eclipses 70 total yards in loss
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Hubbard rushed 11 times for 45 yards and secured four of five targets for 26 yards in the Panthers' 26-0 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Hubbard didn't have anywhere near the opportunities he'd enjoyed in several recent games, with the Panthers' inability to keep up with the Jaguars helping to neutralize the ground game. Hubbard's carry total was his lowest since Week 11, and he'll have one more opportunity to put together a productive effort in what has been a solid 2023 campaign when Carolina hosts the Buccaneers in Week 18.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Cleared for Sunday
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Hubbard (hamstring) was as full practice participant Friday and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Jacksonville.
The Panthers listed Hubbard as limited Wednesday and Thursday but apparently liked what they saw in practice and don't have any doubts about his Week 16 availability. He has a five-game streak with at least 64 percent snap share, 14 carries, 17 touches and 11.6 PPR points, piling up 446 yards and four TDs in that span.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Limited again Thursday
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Hubbard (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Thursday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
As was the case Wednesday, Hubbard is operating with a cap on his reps due to a hamstring issue one day later, while fellow running back Miles Sanders practiced without limitations due to a toe concern. Hubbard thus has one more chance to get back to all activity this week before the Panthers potentially give him an injury designation ahead of Sunday's game in Jacksonville.
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Panthers' Chuba Hubbard: Heavy workload in Week 16 loss
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Hubbard rushed 16 times for 43 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for eight yards in the Panthers' 33-30 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Hubbard once again had the backfield work early mostly to himself, outpacing Miles Sanders by 13 carries. However, he found surprisingly tough sledding against a Packers defense that had been frequently vulnerable to the run, but he managed to salvage his fantasy day with a four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that served as his fifth of the campaign and tied his career high. Hubbard next takes aim at a tough Jaguars run defense in a Week 17 road matchup New Year's Eve.
