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Should you prioritize early or late-season success? That's the root of the Carolina running back conundrum.
Chuba Hubbard will get the first crack at being the lead back in Carolina due to the ongoing injury recovery for Jonathon Brooks (ACL). The latter, however, appears to be the better talent and could take over once active.
While Carolina's offense projects to be below league average, new head coach Dave Canales turned Rachaad White into a fantasy football star in 2023, despite poor efficiency metrics. At least one of the Panthers' pair will be fantasy-relevant in this new-look offense.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
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- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
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- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Chuba Hubbard 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Chuba Hubbard outright won the job over Miles Sanders midway through last season and will hold off Jonathon Brooks for at least the beginning of this season. That's a starting running back with an ADP in the 11th round (and ranked even lower on platforms like ESPN).
Chuba Hubbard had a scary knee injury recently but he’s already back at practice. Crisis avoided. Keep drafting him. https://t.co/0d5blVvmU8
— Ben Cummins (@BenCumminsFF) August 20, 2024
He's better suited as a backup running back in this league, but opportunities mean everything for running backs, and he'll have them. In Weeks 12 through 18 last season (coinciding with some of Hubbard's best snap shares of the season), he averaged 14.4 PPR points. That was good for the RB11, better than players like Jahmyr Gibbs and James Cook.
Jonathon Brooks 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Brooks totaled 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry in his junior season at Texas before suffering a torn ACL in November. He missed the pre-draft process and has yet to suit up in training camp. Dave Canales believes his rookie second-round pick won't see the field until Week 3 at the earliest.
Viewed by many as the most talented running back in the 2024 Draft class, Brooks was the first runner selected. When he returns, he should have little problem establishing himself as the best Carolina running back.
Jonathon Brooks 70-yards to the crib!
The future. pic.twitter.com/Tz2rBCD2n3
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) November 19, 2022
Missing a rookie training camp is a brutal situation for any player, let alone one that fantasy football managers are eyeing for their rosters. There are success stories. Todd Gurley tore his ACL in a similar timeframe to Brooks and became a rookie sensation. But don't rely on Brooks for the first half of the NFL season.
Who Should I Draft?
To answer the question at the beginning of the article, it's, of course, important to have the best roster in time for the fantasy playoffs. The journey of getting there isn't straightforward. The best fantasy managers may only have three to five players from their draft still on their roster.
Knowing that Brooks won't be ready for the beginning of the season (and that it will take even longer for him to get up to speed), Hubbard is an early-season flex-worthy starter available in the double-digit rounds. It's not an exciting selection, but a perfect fit for a roster that prioritized wide receivers or other positions in earlier rounds.
That's not to say Brooks isn't worth a selection on draft day. The rookie's current ADP rests in the ninth round, which is a respectable time to bet on talent, especially if your league settings allow a player listed as out to sit in an IR spot. He could become an RB1 by the end of the season.
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