Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Isiah Pacheco

Monday, September 8, 3:35 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard caught the team's lone touchdown in a 23-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. With just under five minutes left in the game, quarterback Bryce Young hit Hubbard in the flat, and after evading a shoestring tackle, he was able to race up the sideline unchallenged for the 27-yard score. Hubbard had an otherwise unremarkable game, logging 16 carries for 57 rushing yards and turning five targets into three receptions for 32 yards and the trip to the end zone. The one positive is Hubbard's dominance of the Panthers' backfield duties. Rico Dowdle saw only three carries, and Hubbard outsnapped his new understudy at a 2-to-1 clip. Hubbard and the Panthers will take to the road to face the Cardinals in Week 2.

Saturday, September 13, 4:45 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. The defending Super Bowl champions defeated the Chiefs in their last matchup, and Pacheco only had seven rushing yards on three carries. The 26-year-old will have the chance to exact some revenge, but he must first overcome the timeshare he's in with Kareem Hunt. Pacheco and Hunt had the same number of opportunities in Week 1; both handled five carries and two catches on three targets. The former ultimately finished with more total yards, but it was not an impressive performance by either back. Pacheco did manage 5.0 yards per carry when given the opportunity, so maybe he can build on that efficiency with more usage. That said, the Eagles defense was one of the toughest in the league to run against last season, and that looks to be the case again this year. Pacheco will have his work cut out for him if he wants to carve out a larger role in the Kansas City backfield. Pacheco is ranked RB35 in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him an RB3/Flex option. He'll be a tough player to trust this week.