Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or James Cook

Thursday, October 2, 2:35 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) remained sidelined at Thursday's practice, leaving his status for Sunday's matchup very much in question. Hubbard has been a bright spot for the Panthers' offense, totaling 217 rushing yards on 53 carries while adding reliability as their lead back. If he is unable to go, Carolina is expected to turn to Rico Dowdle and Trevor Etienne to share the workload. Dowdle has handled the bulk of the backup duties with 28 carries on the season, but Etienne has been more explosive, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. When Hubbard exited last week, the pair split touches nearly evenly, with Dowdle seeing nine carries to Etienne's seven. Fantasy managers should monitor Hubbard's status closely, but both Dowdle and Etienne could emerge as deep-league or desperation flex options depending on how Carolina divides the touches in Week 5.

Sunday, September 28, 9:47 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook posted another huge game in Week 4 in his team's 31-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Cook recorded 117 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and added three catches for 18 yards for good measure as well. The 26-year-old has now logged 401 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 75 carries and 12 receptions for 89 yards through his first four games of 2025. He dominated backfield touches in Week 4, earning 22 out of 24 rush attempts by running backs for Buffalo against New Orleans. As long as he's healthy, Cook is a must-start fantasy running back.