Eric Polzin recommended the UNDER on Chuba Hubbard’s season-long rushing yardage line, which sits at 950 yards across all major books. Polzin pointed to Carolina’s decision to sign Rico Dowdle—whom he views as a near one-for-one talent comp for Hubbard—as evidence the Panthers plan on a true committee, likely a 60-40 split that caps Hubbard’s volume. Although Hubbard improved in 2024 (250 carries, career-best 1,006 yards), Polzin doubts he will approach last year’s 250 attempts with Dowdle in the fold and Jonathan Brooks still on the roster. Carolina’s second-leading rusher a year ago was QB Bryce Young with only 249 yards, highlighting how thin the depth chart was before the Dowdle signing. With no sportsbook edge on the yardage number, Polzin prefers attacking Hubbard’s UNDER 950 rushing yards and, for an added angle, UNDER 6.5 rushing TDs at FanDuel versus the flat 6.0 at PrizePicks.

Jeff Erickson punched the OVER 6.5 rushing touchdowns for Chuba Hubbard at +120 (Caesars). Hubbard scored 10 times on the ground last year and projects as Carolina’s unquestioned goal-line back after the team signed Rico Dowdell— a player who saw only five carries inside the five-yard line and two TDs with Dallas in 2023. Erickson pointed out that Carolina invested heavily in run-defense upgrades during free agency, hoping to keep game scripts neutral and sustain rushing volume. Assuming even average health, Hubbard’s demonstrated short-yardage efficiency plus a weak backfield threat profile make seven rushing TDs a reachable baseline.

Jorge Martin said Chuba Hubbard is a player to scoop at his current RB16 ADP because Carolina’s leaky defense should keep the scoreboard (and the play volume) humming. New coach Dave Canales has publicly committed to a run-heavy approach, and Hubbard already proved he is game-script proof: in the seven contests where he topped 92 rushing yards last season, the Panthers surrendered 22+ points in six and still fed him, even while losing four of those games. Hubbard’s Utilization Report score checked in at 85, fourth-best among all backs, signaling a feature workload that Rico Dowdle’s arrival is unlikely to dent. With a defense that ranked worst in fantasy points allowed to RBs (28.5) and second worst to QBs (19.9), Martin expects precious few 10-7 grinders and plenty of high-total shootouts that will keep Hubbard on the field for volume and scoring chances.

Jorge Martin said Chuba Hubbard is undervalued at his current RB16 ADP because Carolina’s defense is still a turnstile, which should keep the scoreboard (and Hubbard’s touch count) spinning. Martin reminded readers that new coach Dave Canales has openly stated he will lean on the run in 2024 and pointed to Hubbard’s 85 Utilization Rating—fourth-best in the league—as proof he can handle the work. In the seven games last season where Hubbard rushed for at least 92 yards, the Panthers surrendered 22-plus points six times and still gave him plenty of carries, proving negative game scripts won’t phase his workload. With Carolina having allowed a league-worst 28.5 fantasy points to running backs and the second-most (19.9) to quarterbacks, Martin expects plenty of shootouts and believes Hubbard’s weekly volume and touchdown chances are being discounted in drafts.

Mike Wright called Chuba Hubbard a "stinky treasure" who keeps paying the bills at his current fourth-/fifth-round price. Hubbard logged a seven-week RB7 stretch (Weeks 3-16) last season, earned a multi-year extension this spring, and now faces zero early-season competition with rookie Jonathan Brooks shelved for the year. Wright acknowledged Hubbard’s pedestrian receiving grade, but doubts Rico Dowdell is enough of an upgrade to siphon meaningful passing-down snaps. With Carolina unlikely to fix a defense that ranked dead last in EPA, Wright projects 240–260 touches and steady RB2 output—even if the Panthers win only six games—making Hubbard a boring but bankable floor play in managed leagues and an undervalued volume chip in best-ball rooms.

JSU called Chuba Hubbard a sneaky smash at his current DraftKings ADP, pointing out that Hubbard handled roughly 80% of Carolina’s carries inside the five last season—second only to Derrick Henry’s 90% among backs with 200+ rush attempts. The Panthers added only Rico Dowdle behind him, and JSU does not expect that to siphon short-yardage work. Hubbard can catch passes, run between the tackles, and already proved coaches trust him at the goal line. That three-down profile, combined with how late he goes in 20-round DraftKings drafts, makes him a priority target for best-ball drafters hunting for touchdown equity after the first few rounds.

Siegele argued Chuba Hubbard is mis-priced at the 4.11 (RB18) because his receiving role is on life support. Hubbard graded poorly as a pass catcher last season, prompting Carolina to spend meaningful draft capital on Trevor Etienne—taken before several trendy Zero-RB names. Once Etienne siphons targets, Hubbard’s scoring profile loses its high-value touches, leaving only early-down carries on a low-octane offense. ADP suggests Rico Dowdle is the main threat, but Siegele believes Etienne represents the real danger, making Hubbard a volatile pick who could hemorrhage fantasy value by mid-season.

Raybon projected a 60-30 touch split in favor of Chuba Hubbard over new signing Rico Dowdell. Carolina handed Hubbard a four-year, $33 M extension after his breakout 1,248-yard season, signaling feature-back intentions but also incentive to avoid over-use. Dowdell is expected to soak up most long-down-and-distance snaps and keep Hubbard fresh, possibly pushing Hubbard’s route rate below last year’s 46%. Even with the lighter workload, Raybon sees enough volume in Dave Canales’ run-heavy scheme for Hubbard to remain an every-week RB2 while Dowdell carries matchup-based FLEX value and strong injury upside.

Ian Hartitz called Chuba Hubbard one of the biggest ADP discounts on the board, saying he would draft Hubbard ahead of Chase Brown despite a 24-spot gap in cost (RB53 vs RB29). Hartitz highlighted Hubbard’s four-year, $33 million extension—evidence the Panthers view him as their bell-cow—and noted that backup Rico Dowdle is on a one-year deal for less than $3 million. Hubbard finished 4th in rushing yards over expected per carry and earned top-five marks in Fantasy Life’s utilization metric, so Hartitz trusts the efficiency to hold even if Carolina’s offense is only league-average. With goal-line work locked in and a legitimate three-down role, Hartitz believes Hubbard can replicate last season’s back-half RB1 pace and sees him as an easy pick every time he lingers into the 50s overall.

Jim Coventry called Chuba Hubbard a bust at his RB18 price tag. Hubbard’s 2024 line—1,195 yards, 10 touchdowns, 43 catches—looks shiny, but he managed only 4.0 yards per reception on those catches, a number Coventry says will push Carolina to use a separate passing-down back. The front office telegraphed that plan by signing Rico Dowdle, who produced similar efficiency in Dallas, and drafting Trevor Etienne. Early-down work is not locked in either; Hubbard’s yards per carry jumped from 3.8 in 2023 to 4.8 last year, a level Coventry doubts is sustainable. If that efficiency regresses and a receiving specialist siphons targets, Hubbard’s path to RB2 value evaporates.

Jim Coventry urged caution on Chuba Hubbard at his RB18-20 sticker price. While Hubbard racked up 1,195 rushing yards and 43 catches last year, those receptions produced a paltry four yards apiece, hinting at inefficiency that could boot him from passing downs. Coventry highlighted that Hubbard’s yards-per-carry ballooned from 3.8 as a rookie to 4.8—exactly the kind of one-off spike that often regresses. Carolina reinforced its backfield, paying Rico Dowdle $3.5 million and drafting Trevor Etienne, suggesting a potential 60-40 committee. If Hubbard loses target volume, the path to paying off a top-20 tag evaporates, making him a fade for Coventry.

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.