Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or DeVonta Smith

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
11.5 52.0 0.3 2.2 14.5 0.1

Chuba Hubbard News

Chuba Hubbard Cleared, a FLEX Option in Week 1 vs. the Bears

Friday, September 11, 5:45 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) doesn't carry an injury designation heading into Week 1's matchup against the Chicago Bears. Hubbard practiced this week and was not listed on Carolina's injury report after dealing with a hamstring injury since mid-August. Backfield teammate Jonathon Brooks (groin) was also removed from the injury report as the Panthers will have both running backs available in Week 1. Hubbard rushed for 511 yards and one touchdown while catching 30 passes for 223 yards and three scores in 15 games last season. He is listed as the RB1 in Carolina's depth chart but will likely split touches with Brooks. The 27-year-old is RotoBaller's RB31 and is considered a FLEX option heading into Week 1 against a Bears defense that allowed 134.5 rushing yards per game last year. With the plus matchup, fantasy managers can start Hubbard as a FLEX in Week 1.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
15.1 0.1 0.0 5.4 72.5 0.4

DeVonta Smith News

DeVonta Smith Primed for Breakout as Undisputed No. 1

Thursday, September 3, 7:30 PM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith could be headed for a breakout season in 2026. The 27-year-old is poised to handle a significantly larger target share after teammate AJ Brown was traded to the New England Patriots. Smith had a total of nine catches and 136 yards across the two games that Brown missed last year, which likely represents his floor for the upcoming season. He is the undisputed No. 1 target in Philadelphia, offering a high-upside weapon for Jalen Hurts in all parts of the field. Perhaps the biggest question mark is whether Smith will take on a larger role around the goal line. He tallied a career-low four touchdowns last year, but he'll presumably get more goal-line targets following the departure of Brown, who scored seven touchdowns in 2025. As it stands, Smith has jumped to WR13 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026. He has an ADP of 31.4, which corresponds to the third round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 14th receiver off the board.

Chuba Hubbard vs. DeVonta Smith

Still trying to decide between Hubbard and Smith? 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 11.5 points this week while DeVonta Smith is projected to score 15.1 points.