Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Chuba Hubbard


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.1 61.5 0.5 4.5 39.0 0.2

Christian McCaffrey News

A Familiar Story of Risk/Reward Follows Christian McCaffrey into 2026

Tuesday, June 23, 5:13 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has become one of fantasy's greatest paradoxes. In 2025, he played in all 17 games and finished as the RB1 by a substantial margin, marking the fifth time in the last eight seasons that he's played at least 16 games, with accompanying finishes of RB1, RB1, RB2, RB1, and RB3. McCaffrey is one of the most unique weapons in the game, as dangerous aligned out wide as he is from the backfield, making him nearly impossible to remove from the field despite yearly discussions about limiting his workload. Unfortunately, his unquestioned bell cow role has come with predictable wear and tear and a number of catastrophic injuries, and three times over those eight years, he's played in seven or fewer games. McCaffrey is now 30 years old and coming off the heaviest workload of his career, handling more than 430 opportunities in 2025, and his fantasy outlook remains familiar: if he makes it through another full season, he's as strong a bet as anyone to finish as the RB1, but getting there means facing the type of physical strain that very few human beings on the planet are equipped to handle. With injury risk pitted against upside, McCaffrey is RotoBaller's RB3 for 2026.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
10.6 49.2 0.3 2.0 13.5 0.1

Chuba Hubbard News

Should Chuba Hubbard Be Targeted at his Current ADP?

Wednesday, July 8, 6:01 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard was one of the biggest surprises in fantasy in 2024, racking up 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns in a season that would earn him a four-year, $33 million extension with the team. Injuries and inconsistency derailed his 2025 campaign, and he finished the year as the clear backup to Rico Dowdle, handling double-digit carries only one time after Week 8. With Dowdle departing in free agency and the Panthers making no significant additions to the position, Hubbard potentially faces a training camp battle with 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. Reports out of the non-padded setting of minicamp praised Brooks for the explosiveness he's recaptured since an ACL tear ended his rookie season, but it's important to remember the injury was the second of its kind in 13 months, sandwiched around only nine professional carries. It's extremely unlikely that Brooks would step fully into Dowdle's vacated role and inherit the bulk of his 282 opportunities from a season ago. With Hubbard now also nearly ten months removed from the calf injury that landed him on injured reserve and reportedly tested his confidence upon his return, a split backfield in Carolina could lead to one of the league's more ambiguous situations and depressed ADPs for both players. Neither Hubbard nor Brooks is currently being drafted within the top 30 of the position, and with Dave Canales producing a top 16 fantasy back in each of his three seasons calling plays for Carolina and Tampa Bay, the opportunity is there for one or both to return difference-making value in 2026.


Christian McCaffrey vs. Chuba Hubbard

Still trying to decide between McCaffrey and Hubbard? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Christian McCaffrey is projected to score 19.1 points this week while Chuba Hubbard is projected to score 10.6 points.