Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Bucky Irving
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
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.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.7 | 56.8 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 19.1 | 0.1 |
Bucky Irving News
Sunday, July 5, 6:04 AM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving has become one of the most divisive players in 2026 drafts. After a breakout rookie season in 2024 saw him rack up almost 1,600 yards on his way to an RB14 finish, foot and shoulder injuries, as well as reported off-field struggles, limited him to only 10 games in 2025. Returning to action in Week 13 after an eight-week absence, Irving looked like a shell of himself, unable to top four yards per carry in any of his final six games. On the season, his 3.4-yard-per-carry average was down a full two yards from his rookie season, and while he was able to provide 6.1 half-PPR points per game strictly through the passing game, more than 67% of that production came in the first four weeks of the season. Following offseason shoulder surgery, the bull case for Irving is that he can return to the efficiency of his rookie season and the start of 2025, when he was the RB10 through the first four weeks. His detractors will point to the two-year, $14 million deal given to Kenneth Gainwell as evidence that Irving's fantasy-friendly usage in the passing game is set to take a meaningful hit. Those conflicting opinions have him coming off the board around RB24 by current ADP, providing his believers the opportunity to snag him at a discount in hopes of what could be a league-winning bounceback season.
Chuba Hubbard vs. Bucky Irving
Still trying to decide between Hubbard and Irving? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Chuba Hubbard is projected to score 10.6 points this week while Bucky Irving is projected to score 12.7 points.
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