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Chuba Hubbard 2026 Fantasy Football Outlook: Set to Lead Carolina's Backfield, but Expect Brooks to be Mixed In
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard suffered a calf injury in Week 4 against the New England Patriots and ended up missing the next two weeks. He returned to action in Week 7, but took a backseat to Rico Dowdle and only logged double-digit carries three times in the Panthers' last 12 games, including the Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Overall, Hubbard rushed for 511 yards on 134 attempts and one touchdown while catching 30 passes for 223 yards and three scores across 15 games. Dowdle left via free agency and signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Steelers. Part of the reason the Panthers let Dowdle walk is that the team feels running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) is healthy and ready to take on a role in Carolina's backfield. Brooks missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in his rookie year. The 22-year-old appears to be fully healthy and has looked impressive in OTAs. While Brooks will have a role, the Panthers could ease him in and rely on Hubbard to lead the Panthers' backfield. Hubbard has an ADP of 91 on Sleeper, and is massive value with a current RotoBaller ranking of 67. If Hubbard can fend off Brooks, he's an excellent pick at his current ADP. RotoBaller projections have Hubbard leading the backfield, projecting 1,270 total yards and eight touchdowns in 2026.
