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Who is the starting running back for the Carolina Panthers from Week 14 onward? Aidin Ebrahimi breaks down the the fantasy football outlooks for Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle heading into the fantasy football playoffs.
The Carolina Panthers have risen from the ashes. Second-year head coach Dave Canales has done a tremendous job, turning one of the biggest laughingstocks in the NFL into a team that can beat anyone on any given Sunday.
He also deserves credit for how he's managed the team's running back situation. The team signed former Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle in the offseason to be the backup behind Chuba Hubbard, but Dowdle played out of his mind when Hubbard got hurt early in the season. Dowdle took Hubbard's starting spot in Week 9, but the Panthers saw diminishing returns, as Hubbard remained patient and finally overtook Dowdle's snap share in Week 13 against the Rams.
After Hubbard's great performance in that game, the question that's on everyone's mind is: "Who is the Panthers' RB1?" Let's dive in and attempt to answer this question.
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Chuba Hubbard Fantasy Football Outlook
In the midst of a 1,195-yard, 10-touchdown 2024 season, Chuba Hubbard earned a four-year, $33.2 million extension with the Panthers.
Panthers answer with a Chuba Hubbard touchdown
LARvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/dmMU4ASLO5
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025
Hubbard averaged 84.9 scrimmage yards per game in his first 27 games as the team's starting running back and was looking forward to earning a Pro Bowl selection for the first time heading into the 2025 season.
However, a calf injury changed everything for Hubbard. Offseason addition Rico Dowdle was on fire during Hubbard's absence, and he failed to justify his place as the RB1 following his return, putting up just 65 rushing yards and a touchdown in his first two games back.
Hubbard was officially benched for Dowdle in Week 9, but as Dowdle's yardage and efficiency slowly dwindled, Hubbard worked quietly in the shadows. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his next four games, and even returned a few kickoffs for the team, something he hadn't done since 2022.
Hubbard's time finally came in Week 13, as he put up 124 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage against arguably the best team in football in a shocking win. Hubbard's performance led to him finishing as Week 13's PPR RB5. This performance will likely cause his number of touches to increase once again.
"He looked amazing,'' Panthers HC Dave Canales said, per ESPN. "He looked explosive, and he looked strong and really brought an attitude to our group. And it really impacted us as a team."
Rico Dowdle Fantasy Football Outlook
"DowdleMania" was extremely fun while it lasted. Many fans thought Dowdle was unfairly "dumped" by the Cowboys following a 1,000-yard season, similar to his predecessor, Tony Pollard.
Rico Dowdle 34 TOUCHES, 239 YDS, 1 TD vs. DAL Today. https://t.co/yuh9I6eHke pic.twitter.com/bg8lyMd9DA
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) October 12, 2025
Dowdle put up a ridiculous 473 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage in two games while Hubbard was out due to injury, and he outperformed the then-RB1 in two consecutive weeks, which led to him becoming the starting running back in Week 9.
Dowdle ran for 130 yards and two scores against the Packers that week, but everything seems to have fallen apart since then. Over his last four games, Dowdle has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and 12.9 PPR points per game, a massive drop-off compared to his 6.3 yards per carry and 22.1 PPR points per game from Week 5 to Week 9.
Is Chuba Hubbard or Rico Dowdle the Panthers' RB1?
When the Panthers initially signed Rico Dowdle, GM Dan Morgan had the intention of running an old-school, one-two punch RB tandem. The closest that we've come to seeing that original vision was last week's game against the Rams, as Dowdle had 20 touches and Hubbard had 19.
Hubbard had the highest snap share in that game, as he played in 59.4% of the team's offensive snaps compared to Dowdle's 42.2%.
It makes sense as to why the Panthers are slowly pivoting back to Hubbard; after all, he did sign a big-money extension with them in November last year. Dowdle is on a one-year deal and will have plenty of suitors in free agency.
The Panthers are focused on shocking the football world by making the playoffs this year, but they're also focused on their future stability. Hubbard is younger and under contract for the foreseeable future, which will likely cause him to overtake Dowdle and reclaim his old starting spot on the team.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Popular Week 14 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
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