Should I Pickup and Start Chuba Hubbard in Week 16? Fantasy Football Outlook

The Panthers have been rotating running backs ever since they shipped Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers ahead of Week 7.

Since the trade, Chuba Hubbard and D'Onta Foreman have been the Panthers' primary two ball carriers with a bit of Raheem Blackshear mixed in, as well.

Carolina takes on the Detroit Lions at home in Week 16 in what is likely an important semifinal matchup in most fantasy leagues. So, should we start Chuba Hubbard this week against the Lions or leave him on the bench?

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What Did Chuba Hubbard Do In Week 15?

Hubbard outproduced Foreman in a tough Week 15 matchup against the Steelers, finishing with 9.70 PPR points, compared to -.10 from Foreman.

Hubbard played on 63% of the snaps in Week 15, his best mark of the season. Foreman, on the other hand, only notched a 30% snap share.

#Panthers snap counts from yesterday:

With the running game imploding, Chuba Hubbard out-paced D’Onta Foreman (29 vs 14 snaps)

Keith Taylor played all but three snaps against the Steelers on defense. pic.twitter.com/rJva0LRZ23

— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) December 19, 2022

While Foreman gained just nine yards on 10 carries and was not targeted in the passing game, Hubbard wound up carrying the ball four times for 10 yards and caught all three of his targets for 57 yards against Pittsburgh.

#Panthers catch success percentage (min 10 targets) through Week 15:

1. Chuba Hubbard: 84.6%
2. Laviska Shenault: 84%
3. Raheem Blackshear: 80%
4. Ian Thomas: 73.1%
5. Terrace Marshall: 57.9%
6. D.J. Moore: 52.6%
T-7: Shi Smith: 50%
T-7: Tommy Tremble: 50% pic.twitter.com/mLV6eJBMXj

— Cat Crave (@CatCraveBlog) December 22, 2022

What Has Chuba Hubbard Done in 2022?

Heading into Week 7, Chuba Hubbard appeared primed to take over as the Panthers' leading back after McCaffrey was traded. In the first game in the post-McCaffrey era in Carolina, Hubbard carried the ball 15 times for 118 yards and caught both of his targets for 27 yards. The second-year running back has also far outproduced Foreman in the passing game.

Chuba Hubbard looking like he learned something from his time backing up CMC. 👀

Nice route. Sam puts it in stride. And we’re off to the races.

#Panthers pic.twitter.com/wEDD291guX

— Unnecessary Bluntness Owner/Coach/QB (@DuncOnDemand) December 22, 2022

He unfortunately suffered an ankle injury during that Week 7 game against Tampa Bay. The team called it minor but Hubbard still ended up missing the next two games because of the injury, opening the door for Foreman to take the lead in Carolina.

Things have started to shift back into Hubbard's favor since Carolina's bye in Week 13. In the two games since the team's bye, Hubbard has been more productive than Foreman. He even finished as the RB9 in Week 14 before his RB37 finish against the Steelers last week.

Should I Start Chuba Hubbard In Week 16 Fantasy Football?

It appears that Hubbard is the new RB1 in Carolina. But does that mean he is a good start in Week 16? Let's take a look.

First off, the Detroit defense has improved throughout the season. While they were a unit worth targeting in fantasy early on, the Lions are currently allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to the running back position. That, along with a Carolina offense that has not been very explosive, makes Hubbard a risky play this week.

There is a sliver of hope, however, as the Lions have struggled against running backs as receivers, ranking 21st in the league in DVOA in that area. Hubbard is the passing-down back in Carolina and could see plenty of work in that area, especially if the red-hot Detroit offense puts a lot of points on the board.

Hubbard is not a must-start in Week 16 but he is on the radar as a flex option or even an RB2 option for managers who lost Jonathan Taylor last week.

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