Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or De'Von Achane

Saturday, August 9, 3:50 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard opened the preseason with three rushes for 10 yards in Friday's 30-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns. While his stats were light, the 26-year-old is expected to resume his role as the team's lead back after an impressive 2024 campaign. Last year, Hubbard emerged as a bell-cow, capitalizing on injuries to Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks (knee) to post a stat line of 250 rushes for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, along with 43 receptions for 171 yards and one touchdown through the air in 15 games. He signed a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension in the middle of the season. RotoBaller projects Hubbard as RB17 heading into the regular season, reflecting his expected workload as the top option in the Carolina backfield and a steady, high-end RB2.

Wednesday, August 27, 4:38 PM

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (calf) was not practicing on Wednesday, according to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. Achane has been dealing with a lingering calf injury throughout most of August. However, earlier on Wednesday, the team's general manager noted that he expects their top running back to be "ready" for their Week 1 match against the Colts. While the Dolphins could be closely monitoring his workload, seeing him continue to sit out in practice is not a positive sign. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status leading up to Week 1. When healthy, Achane is one of the most productive running backs in the sport. Last season, Achane enjoyed a breakout campaign totaling 907 yards on the ground and 592 through the air. If he were to miss time, rookie Ollie Gordon II would likely be bumped up the depth chart.