Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Quentin Johnston

Tuesday, July 1, 9:19 PM

The Charlotte Observer's Alex Zietlow writes that Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard "will still get the overwhelming majority of the touches" this year. Hubbard was the team's bell-cow back in 2024 with 712 snaps. He carried the ball 250 times, which ranked 11th in the NFL and second among all RBs who played 15 games or fewer. Zietlow thinks that number will drop a bit this year as the Panthers look to keep Hubbard fresh, with Rico Dowdle and rookie Trevor Etienne splitting change-of-pace carries. The 26-year-old had his first 1,000-yard rushing season with a career-high 10 touchdowns in 15 starts, adding a carer-high 43 catches for 171 yards and a score through the air. There's a good chance 2024 ends up being Hubbard's career year, as Dowdle should be much more effective than Miles Sanders was behind Hubbard last year. Fantasy managers should target Hubbard as an RB2.

Friday, June 13, 1:53 PM

The Athletic's Daniel Popper writes that Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston worked with the first-team offense alongside second-year wideout Ladd McConkey and Jalen Reagor for the bulk of the work during mandatory minicamp this week. Rookie Tre Harris got limited reps with quarterback Justin Herbert. Johnston, the 21st overall pick in 2023 out of TCU, struggled with drops and was a disappointing in his rookie season, but he bounced back with a 55-711-8 line in 15 regular-season games (11 starts) in 2024. The problem is that his role could be in jeopardy in 2025 with the addition of Harris and big-play threat Mike Williams. With the added competition and Johnston still lacking for efficiency in a run-first offense, both his fantasy ceiling and floor will be low. RotoBaller has the 23-year-old ranked as the WR59.