Is Chuba Hubbard Still The Starting Running Back For The Panthers?

Will Chuba Hubbard start for the Carolina Panthers when Jonathon Brooks returns to football? John Johnson breaks down Chuba Hubbard's fantasy football outlook.

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has had a surprising start to the 2024 season. Seemingly out of nowhere, he's the RB5 in full-PPR scoring and has been efficient in handling the majority of the backfield workload for his team. He's averaging just under 16 PPR fantasy points per game.

He's logged a cool 5.6 yards per carry, rushing for two touchdowns and catching one. He's currently third in the league in rushing yards with 485. He wasn't predicted to be a breakout star, and with an ADP of around 129 (RB44), he's been a massive value for fantasy managers.

Despite this, the looming return of a newly drafted player could lead to Hubbard's great run drawing to a close. He could even lose his starting job. So, will Hubbard start for the Panthers when this happens?

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Will Chuba Hubbard Start For The Panthers When Jonathon Brooks Plays?

Fantasy managers don't have a lot to worry about yet. While Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced the return of rookie running back and second-round NFL Draft selection Jonathon Brooks, that doesn't mean he'll play in the first game after returning to practice.

Dave Canales says they hope to open up the practice window for rookie running back Jonathan Brooks this week.

Adds that Wonnum is finishing up the last stages before coming back. pic.twitter.com/4HwwMuL0U0

— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) October 14, 2024

There hasn't been an announcement on his official return yet. Hubbard will probably keep the role he's currently in as long as Brooks isn't on the field. However, when the rookie comes back, he will eat into the vet's workload, and while the final splits have yet to be determined if the rookie plays well, he could take over the starting job.

Hubbard's play doesn't mean that he's clearly better than Brooks. It won't be possible to evaluate how the players compare to each other until they're both on the field and up to full strength. Neither back will get completely phased out of the game plan.

Chuba Hubbard Fantasy Football Outlook

It's all systems go until the former Texas Longhorn returns to the field. Until then, Hubbard remains a must-start in all leagues. He has excellent volume and has clearly capitalized on it. It's important to try to gauge the impact the offensive line has on a running back's play for fantasy purposes, though.

there's no sugarcoating it. this is one of the worst run defenses in the league

- interior is soft, and the line is pushed around at will
- linebackers look lost and appear to be guessing
- the panthers had four runs over 10+ yards last night, gaining 64 in total pic.twitter.com/GdcT9BQzVH

— Tre’Shon (@tre3shon) October 14, 2024

Carolina's run-blocking has been lights out this season. They're moving defenders around at will, giving Hubbard wide-open holes to run through and create chunk plays. Among running backs with 50 or more carries, he's averaging 3.1 yards before contact per attempt, meaning he's facing little resistance at the line.

Jonathon Brooks was the only Longhorn to have over 100 rushing and receiving yards combined 🤘

Such a natural runner who can fight through contact and keep his balance. pic.twitter.com/jCqfvVbL30

— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) September 5, 2023

NFL Draft capital is the best predictor of player success in the NFL, and it would be odd if a rookie second-round pick was hardly used in lieu of a fourth-rounder in Hubbard. Brooks will get his opportunities, and he should have a great year being able to go three yards before being touched on the average attempt.

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