Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Isiah Pacheco
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
Friday, August 21, 6:43 PM
Although Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) is currently battling a hamstring injury, the "expectation is that he'll be ready for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears," per Joseph Person of The Athletic. After recording back-to-back seasons with over 1,100 yards from scrimmage in 2023 and 2024, Hubbard suffered an early-season injury in 2025 and eventually ceded his starting role to former Panthers back Rico Dowdle. However, Dowdle signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this past spring in free agency, opening the door for Hubbard to reclaim the RB1 role in Carolina. The 27-year-old was highly productive in a starting role in 2024, collecting 1,366 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns on 293 touches across 15 games. Hubbard could face some internal competition from Panthers back Jonathan Brooks, who is finally healthy entering 2026 after back-to-back lost seasons due to injury. Still, Hubbard profiles as the lead back in Carolina when healthy and should be viewed by redraft managers as a high-end RB3/flex option.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | 31.2 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 6.4 | 0.0 |
Isiah Pacheco News
Sunday, August 16, 7:51 PM
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) will not practice this week, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain during last week's practice, and it reportedly won't affect his Week 1 status. However, with Pacheco's injury and Jacob Saylors (ankle) dealing with a minor injury, the team signed running back Trayveon Williams to a one-year contract. If this knee sprain lingers as the season approaches, Pacheco could lose reps to star running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has proven he can be a full workhorse back. Fantasy managers of Gibbs and Pacheco should monitor the former Kansas City Chiefs back's status closely, since missed time could impact both players in fantasy.
Chuba Hubbard vs. Isiah Pacheco
Still trying to decide between Hubbard and Pacheco? 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 Isiah Pacheco is projected to score 6.3 points.
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