Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or RJ Harvey

Thursday, January 8, 1:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard opened the 2025 season with double-digit carries in his first six games. Since then, he's seen double-digit carries just once in nine games as Rico Dowdle has pretty much taken over as Carolina's lead back. The 26-year-old has 134 carries for 511 yards (3.8 yards per carry) and only one touchdown, adding 30 receptions for 223 yards and three receiving touchdowns on 39 targets. Fantasy managers probably won't have much confidence in Hubbard as an RB2 going into the Wild-Card playoff matchup on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. In the last four games, Hubbard has just 23 carries for 78 yards (3.4 yards per tote) and seven catches for 29 yards. He'll be stuck in a timeshare with Dowdle again this weekend against a Rams defense that allowed just six rushing TDs to RBs during the regular season, the third-fewest in the NFL.

Friday, January 9, 2:38 PM

Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey averaged 2.4 yards per carry over his last two games of the regular season, including a 15-carry, 28-yard Week 18 performance against a Chargers defense resting the majority of its starters. His fantasy value has been buoyed by an above-average touchdown rate and extensive work in the passing game, but dating back to Week 9, Harvey has averaged more than 3.5 yards per carry in only two of his last nine games. Five times in that span, he has been held to less than 2.7 yards per carry. The Broncos earned a first-round bye as the top seed in the AFC, but fantasy managers rostering Harvey in any playoff leagues should be rooting for wins by the Patriots and Bills in Wild Card Weekend, ensuring a Divisional Round matchup between the Broncos and Bills. Buffalo is widely regarded as having the softest run defense in the AFC playoff field and represents the clearest path for Harvey to have an impact performance.