Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Kaleb Johnson

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.

Friday, December 19, 11:21 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson continues to be one of the most disappointing rookies from the 2025 draft class. The 22-year-old Iowa product played a marginal role once again last week, amassing two carries for four rushing yards on a 3% snap share in the Steelers' win over the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. In total this year, he has 28 carries, 69 rushing yards, one catch, and nine receiving yards. He hasn't earned more than six touches in a single game, and he has played more than 12% of the offensive snaps in just two contests. It's not like Johnson has been relegated to special teams, either. He has just 11 special teams snaps this year and hasn't handled a single kick or punt return since a Week 2 blunder in the end zone that directly resulted in an opponent touchdown. Johnson and his fantasy managers are certainly ready to close the book on the 2025 season and turn the page to next year. With Kenneth Gainwell set to hit free agency in March, Johnson could have a chance to carve out a fantasy-relevant role behind Jaylen Warren in 2026.