Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Ashton Jeanty

Thursday, January 8, 1:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard opened the 2025 season with double-digit carries in his first six games. Since then, he's seen double-digit carries just once in nine games as Rico Dowdle has pretty much taken over as Carolina's lead back. The 26-year-old has 134 carries for 511 yards (3.8 yards per carry) and only one touchdown, adding 30 receptions for 223 yards and three receiving touchdowns on 39 targets. Fantasy managers probably won't have much confidence in Hubbard as an RB2 going into the Wild-Card playoff matchup on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. In the last four games, Hubbard has just 23 carries for 78 yards (3.4 yards per tote) and seven catches for 29 yards. He'll be stuck in a timeshare with Dowdle again this weekend against a Rams defense that allowed just six rushing TDs to RBs during the regular season, the third-fewest in the NFL.

Saturday, January 3, 9:13 PM

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty needs 112 yards in Week 18 to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for his rookie campaign. Jeanty has been finding more success on the ground lately, with 188 rushing yards over his last two games. He figures to continue being the workhorse back during the regular-season finale versus the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs. He could have trouble finding room to run with the Chiefs having a top-10 run defense this season. Jeanty has big-play upside, though, which keeps him in RB2 territory despite a tough matchup. The Raiders figure to go run-heavy with quarterbacks Kenny Pickett or Aidan O'Connell under center.