Pat Fantasy Dog Pound grabbed Chuba Hubbard as a mid-round RB and explained the move was two-fold: (1) Hubbard gives him a natural Week-16 bring-back opposite his Buccaneers pieces, and (2) he had very little Hubbard exposure in his prior 85 drafts, so the pick diversifies his portfolio. Pat reminded viewers that Tampa Bay–Carolina projects as an indoor, late-season game that could shoot out if Bryce Young improves, making cheap correlation valuable. Hubbard already handled 247 touches last year and profiles as the clear contingent back behind rookie Jonathon Brooks, giving him usable spike-week potential if Brooks’ recovery lingers.

Jason Moore called Chuba Hubbard a fantasy vegetable worth swallowing late in drafts. Moore admitted Hubbard isn’t exciting but insisted he’s "way better than people think," pointing to last season’s 4.2 yards per carry and 55% snap share over the final eight weeks after Miles Sanders faded. With Carolina investing nothing high in the backfield, Moore believes Hubbard will again lead a committee that projects 220-plus touches, making him an overlooked flex/bye-week starter in season-long formats.

Hayden Winks argued Chuba Hubbard is a screaming value outside the top-70 picks. Hubbard already handled 61 % of Carolina carries and flashed top-10 success-rate numbers on inside-zone runs—exactly the bread-and-butter of new OC Dave Canales. Winks is not worried about rookie Jonathan Brooks (recovering from an ACL) or $2-million vet Miles Sanders, noting the front office quietly extended Hubbard early and named him a team captain. The Panthers spent free agency shoring up a bottom-five defense with multiple DTs and edge rushers, moves Winks says will create more neutral-script rushing volume. He projects a clear three-down workload if Brooks starts slowly and thinks Hubbard can sneak into low-end RB1 territory in half-PPR formats, making his Round-7/8 ADP “laughably light” for Best Ball Mania drafters.

Pat Kerrane called Chuba Hubbard "very, very solid—basically a low-end RB1" if the Carolina offense takes even a modest step forward under new coordinator Dave Canales. Hubbard already handled 61 % of the Panthers’ carries over the final six weeks last year and sat top-10 among running backs in success rate on inside-zone runs, the staple of Canales’ scheme in Tampa. Kerrane’s build started four straight wide receivers, so he wanted a back whose weekly floor wouldn’t crater; Hubbard’s guaranteed early-down role plus 40-target receiving resume checked that box. Pat added that the backfield competition is minimal—only fifth-round rookie Ray Davis and journeyman Miles Sanders behind him—so a "full-blown bell-cow" outcome is squarely in play. At an ADP in the late 90s, Kerrane thinks drafters are sleeping on a three-down workload that could return top-15 seasonal value.

Pat Kerrane called Chuba Hubbard his highest-rostered back so far and laid out why he thinks the market is asleep at a mid-fifth-round price. Hubbard finished 2024 with +282 rush yards over expected—third-best ever recorded behind only Derrick Henry (562) and Saquon Barkley (549)—placing him ahead of splashier names like Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor. Despite the "two-down" label, Hubbard quietly drew 52 targets last season and 96 across the past two years, giving him just enough receiving juice in half-PPR formats. Carolina’s depth chart offers little resistance: free-agent Rico Dowdle profiles as a pure backup, and fourth-round rookie Trevor Etienne cost nowhere near the future third Houston surrendered for Woody Marks. Kerrane expects a baseline 60-plus percent snap share with weekly outs to the 90s—Hubbard hit 97% and 31 touches in Week 13. With the Panthers upgrading their offensive line and adding Tetairoa McMillan to boost scoring chances, Kerrane believes Hubbard can be ranked as a top-12 back by Week 3 and sees a realistic path to 260 touches. He’s smashing the pick-80 ADP in Best Ball drafts, viewing it as the same workload archetype that once cost a late-second but now falls two rounds later alongside fringe WR3s.

Mike Wright maintained that Chuba Hubbard’s role remains unchanged despite Carolina adding fourth-round scat-back Trevor Etienne. Wright pegged Hubbard as his RB15 in early redraft ranks, pointing to Hubbard’s 69 % snap share and 19.1 touches per game over the final six weeks of 2024—usage the Panthers never supplanted in free agency or the draft. Etienne’s 199-pound frame suggests a change-of-pace role, especially in pass-catching situations, leaving early-down and goal-line work to Hubbard. With Bryce Young projected to improve and Carolina’s offensive line returning all five starters, Wright is drafting Hubbard confidently as a steady RB2 who offers volume-driven upside when the touchdown variance swings his way.

Jason Moore said Chuba Hubbard deserves more respect after finishing as the RB7 from Weeks 3‑16 last season and cashing in with a new contract. Moore highlighted Hubbard’s surprising red‑zone dominance—4.3 touches per game inside the 20—and his rock‑solid interior rushing, calling him a "bona fide between‑the‑tackles grinder." The glaring wart is Hubbard’s pass‑game futility: a league‑worst 3.2 yards per target and 4.9 yards per reception over the past two years. Carolina has already hosted three running backs, including projected Day‑2 pick Jonathan Brooks, on Top‑30 visits, signaling that backfield help is coming. Moore still ranks Hubbard inside his early top‑15 because current ADP bakes in the risk, but he warned that a rookie with real draft capital would turn Hubbard into a touchdown‑dependent RB2 overnight. Draft watchers should be ready to adjust ranks the moment the Panthers make their pick.