Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said on Monday that running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) will not require surgery for his strained calf. Hubbard was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve last week and will miss the final two games of the 2024 regular season. It's a downer to end what was a brilliant campaign for the 25-year-old in his fourth year in the NFL. He set career-highs in rushing attempts (250), rushing yards (1,195), rushing touchdowns (10) and receptions (43) while recording 171 receiving yards and an additional touchdown in his 15 starts. In terms of half-PPR points per game (14.9), Hubbard was the RB12 in fantasy. Although the Panthers have another promising back they drafted in 2024 in Jonathon Brooks, he has yet to be healthy, and Carolina also signed Hubbard to a four-year extension last month. Hubbard should enter 2025 as the team's unquestioned RB1.
Chuba Hubbard Placed On Injured Reserve, Done For Season
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (calf, knee) has been placed on injured reserve, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move will effectively end Hubbard's season with two weeks remaining on the schedule. Hubbard enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, running with the opportunity to lead Carolina's backfield. He finishes the year with 1,195 rushing yards, 171 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns. Not only did he take over the backfield from Miles Sanders, but he also allowed the Panthers to be patient with the debut of Jonathon Brooks, who recovered from a torn ACL only to re-injure himself in his third NFL game. Hubbard, who ranks 12th among running backs in fantasy points (PPR), played well enough to earn a four-year contract extension during the middle of the season, signifying that the Panthers want him to be a centerpiece of their offense long-term. He should remain the Panthers' primary running back when he returns healthy in 2025, ranking as a high-end RB2 option in fantasy football. Meanwhile, for the final two games of the 2024 season, the Panthers will likely rely on some combination of Raheem Blackshear, Velus Jones Jr., and Mike Boone out of the backfield. There's also a slight chance that Sanders could return from IR for next week's season finale. Without a clear backfield alignment, it's risky to start any Panthers running back in fantasy football for Weeks 17 and 18.
Chuba Hubbard Questionable For Sunday's Game Against Tampa Bay
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hubbard has managed limited practices on Thursday and Friday, which is an encouraging sign of his availability for Week 17. Hubbard has had a stellar 2024 campaign, ranking as the RB11 on the season. He has 1,195 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Combined with 171 yards and one touchdown through the air. Fantasy managers can confidently start Hubbard this week, as the Buccaneers defense is nothing to write home about. In addition to the matchup, Hubbard has earned a 77.3% snap share on the season and is earning most of the opportunities out of the backfield of late. Hubbard is a borderline RB1 and comes in as RotoBaller's RB12 in the latest rankings for fantasy championship week.
After being listed as a DNP on Wednesday, Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (knee) returned to practice on Thursday and was listed as limited. The Panthers were most likely just resting Hubbard early in the week, although he may have to upgrade to a full practice on Friday to avoid a questionable tag heading into Sunday's Week 17 date against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As of right now, fantasy managers shouldn't be too concerned that the 25-year-old will be in danger of missing this weekend's contest. He recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season in last week's overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals. Hubbard has been money for fantasy managers in 2024 and needs to remain locked into starting lineups in Week 17 with championship trophies on the line in most leagues.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard tallied 152 yards and two scores on 25 attempts in the Week 16 overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals. Hubbard caught four of his five targets for 13 yards. With quarterback Bryce Young only attempting 26 passes, the Panthers leaned on their RB1 to deliver the victory. Hubbard punched in his first score of the afternoon in the opening quarter on a four-yard run. The 25-year-old would then tally his second score on a game-winning 21-yard run in overtime. This was a nice bounce-back outing for Hubbard, as he tallied just 32 rushing yards last weekend. Over his previous seven contests, Hubbard has found the end zone seven times and tallied at least 70 rushing yards in all but two games. Hubbard remains a solid RB2 heading into a Week 17 tilt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have allowed the 15th-fewest points to opposing RBs this season.
Chuba Hubbard To Be Relied On For Playoff Matchups
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard will look to churn his legs to production against a middling Arizona Cardinals front four in Week 16. Hubbard disappointed last week, to the chagrin of many managers, rushing for just 32 yards on 10 carries against the Dallas Cowboys. Carolina fell behind early and opted to initiate a pass-heavy attack, a trend that has contributed to Hubbard's recent struggles; he has failed to rush for 50 yards in two out of his last three outings. Still, for managers who have survived the hardships, he remains a top running back option in the waning weeks, with RotoBaller having him as RB10 for this Week 16 game.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has had a quality 2024-25 campaign. He most recently ran for 92 yards and a touchdown in the Week 14 loss to Philadelphia. The 25-year-old also caught four passes. But there is reason to believe he will be even more productive in Sunday's clash with Dallas, considering the Cowboys defense has been a mess all year. Miles Sanders (ankle) and Jonathon Brooks (knee) won't play, and with Raheem Blackshear (chest) questionable, Hubbard is in line for plenty of work in Week 15. Truth be told, he'll still get plenty of touches even if Blackshear is cleared to suit up.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard re-established himself as a premier 2024 halfback in Week 14, rushing for 92 yards and a touchdown on 26 attempts and tallying four catches for 15 yards in Sunday's 22-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. With rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) leaving the game in the first quarter, Hubbard took on the full spectrum of backfield workload, coming two carries shy of his season high. While the extent of Brooks' injury is unclear, one could expect Carolina to be very cautious with him as we enter the season's final stretch. Following a gauntlet of tough run defenses, Hubbard and company will face a reeling Dallas squad in Week 15, ranked 27th against running backs.
Chuba Hubbard Draws Bad Matchup Against Eagles Following Disaster Game
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard will test his legs against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14, who rank third in fewest points allowed to halfbacks. In Week 13, Hubbard had his worst performance since Week 1, recording just 43 yards on 12 carries, no receiving targets, and a game-losing fumble in overtime. The concerns don't stop there, as Hubbard saw just 79% of offensive snaps on Sunday while rookie running back Jonathon Brooks took on a more significant role in the game plan. This was always the preseason concern for Hubbard managers, and it seems their fears could be coming true at an inopportune time. RotoBaller has Hubbard ranked as RB24 for Week 14.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard had his worst game of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13. Hubbard recorded just 43 rushing yards on 12 attempts and a crucial overtime fumble in Carolina's 26-23 loss. He had no receiving targets and no touchdowns. One could attribute Hubbard's lack of production to the ramping up of rookie halfback Jonathon Brooks, who saw increased reps in his second career game. This was a known possibility and something many managers had predicted since the preseason. The crucial overtime fumble certainly doesn't help his outlook in the future. Still, Hubbard has had a great season and will likely remain the featured back against Philadelphia next week.
Chuba Hubbard
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Panthers
