Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Josh Downs

Wednesday, December 3, 2:24 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard had the most touches and his highest snap share (59.4%) in a game since Week 8 in the team's Week 13 win over the Los Angeles Rams, totaling 17 carries for 83 yards while adding two receptions (two targets) for 41 yards and a touchdown. Head coach Dave Canales has found the right balance between Rico Dowdle and Hubbard, using Hubbard as the third-down back while leaning on Dowdle for early downs. "We've been using Chuba primarily as our third-down back, and then he gets series as we go," said Canales. The head coach added that, especially with how good Hubbard has looked in the past few weeks, they are "making sure that he's a weapon for us in different ways." Hubbard should continue to be a big factor for the Panthers down the stretch and is firmly back on fantasy radars. The 26-year-old projects as a viable flex option when Carolina comes out of their Week 14 bye to face the division-rival New Orleans Saints.

Thursday, December 4, 4:07 PM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hip, knee) was upgraded to a full participant in practice on Thursday after he was held out on Wednesday with hip and knee injuries. It looks like Downs will be able to play in a crucial divisional game this weekend on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he's become very hard to trust in weekly fantasy football lineups. The 24-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 out of North Carolina has seen a healthy 12 targets the last two games, but he has turned that into only four receptions for 54 yards and no touchdowns while he continues to see fellow wideout Alec Pierce take on a bigger role in the passing attack. Downs is still an integral part of Indy's offense, but he ranks just inside the top 50 receivers in half-PPR points this year on 40 catches, 370 yards, and three touchdowns. He hasn't done much outside of a three-week stretch from Oct. 12 through Nov. 2, where he caught all three of his TDs on the season.