Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Quinshon Judkins

Monday, December 30, 6:15 PM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said on Monday that running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) will not require surgery for his strained calf. Hubbard was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve last week and will miss the final two games of the 2024 regular season. It's a downer to end what was a brilliant campaign for the 25-year-old in his fourth year in the NFL. He set career-highs in rushing attempts (250), rushing yards (1,195), rushing touchdowns (10) and receptions (43) while recording 171 receiving yards and an additional touchdown in his 15 starts. In terms of half-PPR points per game (14.9), Hubbard was the RB12 in fantasy. Although the Panthers have another promising back they drafted in 2024 in Jonathon Brooks, he has yet to be healthy, and Carolina also signed Hubbard to a four-year extension last month. Hubbard should enter 2025 as the team's unquestioned RB1.

Monday, April 28, 11:17 PM

The Cleveland Browns think very highly of running back Quinshon Judkins' potential at the next level after selecting him at No. 36 overall in the second round of the NFL draft last Friday. "Not necessarily saying that he's going to, with certainty, develop into one of those players, we certainly hope that's the case, but we think that he can be a bell cow runner that can really carry the load for us," general manager Andrew Berry said. The Browns' quarterback situation in 2025 could hold Judkins and the rest of their offense back, but it doesn't change the fact that the 21-year-old rookie has a real chance to be the team's RB1 over Jerome Ford sooner than later. It's unclear exactly how Judkins and Ford will coexist in this backfield, but head coach Kevin Stefanski said they want to use Judkins "in a bunch of different ways." Judkins will be more valuable in standard-scoring formats, but his explosiveness and three-down ability will make him an interesting sleeper at the RB position in 2025.