Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Thursday, September 4, 10:09 AM

The Carolina Panthers don't plan to "run Chuba Hubbard dry" early in the season, per ESPN's David Newton. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as Hubbard set career highs in carries and receptions last year, averaging nearly 20 attempts per game before missing the final two contests with a calf injury. Carolina added depth to the backfield this offseason, signing 2024 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle and drafting Trevor Etienne in the fourth round, signaling more of a committee approach in 2025. Still, Hubbard enters the season as the clear lead back on what could be a breakout offense under Bryce Young. While his volume may dip slightly, his role as the top option keeps him firmly in the fantasy RB2 mix.

Thursday, September 4, 12:29 PM

Washington Commanders head coach Kliff Kingsbury acknowledged the preseason "hype train" for rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt leading into the 2025 regular season during a press conference on Thursday. Kingsbury also mentioned that he has a lot of respect for Croskey-Merritt's journey from being a practice-squad player to making it to the NFL. "He can't get enough," Kingsbury said. The 24-year-old's love for football has catapulted him to potentially having a big role in Washington's backfield in his rookie season. However, the Commanders listed him as the RB4 on their first unofficial depth chart of the year in what is shaping up to be a full-blown committee involving JCM, Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and even Jeremy McNichols. Ekeler is probably the safest flex play in PPR leagues in Week 1 against the Giants, but it's a dicey fantasy situation right now.