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When will Chuba Hubbard return and play? Will Chuba Hubbard be back again this season? Read the latest Chuba Hubbard injury updates and return date for Week 7 (2025).
Chuba Hubbard is quietly on his way to becoming one of the best Panthers running backs ever. Ever since he dislodged Miles Sanders as the Panthers' RB1 midway through the 2023 NFL season, Hubbard has racked up the ninth-most rushing yards among all players in the league (2,160).
He ranks fifth on the Panthers' all-time rushing list, and got off to a good start this season before suffering a calf strain. He initially played through the injury, but he has been sidelined for the last couple of weeks, with Rico Dowdle taking his place.
When will Hubbard return to action, and what is his fantasy football outlook when he does? Let's dive in.
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Chuba Hubbard Injury Update
After looking healthy for the first three weeks of the 2025 season, Hubbard suddenly popped up on the Panthers' injury report for Week 4, and his status was questionable for the game against the Patriots.
He knows Chuba is the TRUTH@KendraScott | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/oY9xQkogs8
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 21, 2025
Hubbard played in that game, but he only had 10 rushing attempts, and his snap count decreased to 50.7%. Despite the decreased workload, he reaggravated the injury and has not played or practiced with the team since then.
While there hasn't been much official news regarding Hubbard's Week 7 status, quarterback Bryce Young claimed he was "super confident" about Hubbard's return.
Last week, HC Dave Canales described Hubbard's status as "day-to-day".
Chuba Hubbard Fantasy Football Outlook
Hubbard got off to a great start this season, recording 166 yards from scrimmage and scoring two receiving touchdowns in the first two games of the year. He was the PPR RB7 during that span, racking up 36.6 PPR points.
Good morning Panther fans! Whatever you're going through this week just remember, you have rico dowdle and Chuba Hubbard as your back field! Have a good rest of the week! #KeepPounding
— Jonathan Stewart (@Jonathanstewar1) October 14, 2025
He also had a considerably higher snap share compared to Dowdle. Throughout the first four weeks, Hubbard's snap count stood at 64.1%, while Dowdle's was only at 35.1%. However, Hubbard's injury has changed everything.
Dowdle has been on a mission since Hubbard went down, putting up astonishing numbers. He has racked up 473 yards from scrimmage and has scored a rushing and receiving TD while helping his squad go 2-0.
While Dowdle's recent performances have been mesmerizing, this is unlikely to be the end for Hubbard. He signed a four-year, $33.2 million extension with the team in November of last year, and is still listed as the squad's RB1 on their depth chart.
Head coach Canales seems to be undecided for now, and the team might pivot toward a running back by committee approach.
"We're going to figure that part out," Canales said when asked about Dowdle becoming the team's RB1. "But I know Rico is doing a great job, and he will be a big part of what we're doing.'
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 7 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Rico Dowdle, Kimani Vidal, Rachaad White, D'Andre Swift, Michael Carter, Bam Knight, Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 7. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 7 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Rico Dowdle, Kimani Vidal, Rachaad White, D'Andre Swift, Michael Carter, Bam Knight, Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players' news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
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Popular Week 7 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 7 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 7 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 7 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Rico Dowdle, Kimani Vidal, Rachaad White, D'Andre Swift, Michael Carter, Bam Knight, Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard compared to others:
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