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

Sunday, January 11, 10:29 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard tallied 13 carries, 46 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns during Saturday's Wild Card loss against the Los Angeles Rams. He also caught two of four targets for an additional 13 receiving yards. Hubbard lost his lead-back role to Rico Dowdle during the middle of the season, but he seemed to reclaim his top spot over the final few weeks. As the Panthers were eliminated on Saturday, Hubbard registered 15 touches while Dowdle had just six. Dowdle is an impending free agent, so Hubbard should be a fringe top-24 fantasy running back heading into 2026 fantasy football drafts. It's unclear whether Jonathan Brooks (knee) or Trevor Etienne will be able to carve out a role next year.

Tuesday, January 27, 6:49 PM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a fantasy darling during draft season last fall when the team's RB picture was unsettled. His fantasy stock rose even further after Austin Ekeler suffered a season-ending injury early in the year. The 24-year-old seventh-rounder ended up leading the team in carries (175), rushing yards (805), and rushing touchdowns (eight), but he was the RB29 in half-PPR scoring, and he averaged just 8.2 half-PPR points per game in his 17 contests. It didn't help JCM's cause that starting quarterback Jayden Daniels missed most of the season with various injuries. Croskey-Merritt had two 100-yard games in his rookie season, but he also failed to eclipse 50 rushing yards in a game 12 times. The Commanders will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026, and it's hard to say how they'll attack the RB position in free agency and the draft. Croskey-Merritt will have a role next year, but there's a good chance he'll be more of a committee back than a workhorse.