Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Chuba Hubbard

Thursday, October 23, 2:50 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (knee) will not practice Thursday following a bone bruise on his knee suffered against the Raiders in Week 7. The Chiefs currently rank in the middle of the pack with 123.4 rushing yards per game, as they operate a committee featuring Isiah Pacheco, Hunt, and rookie Brashard Smith. Hunt has seen 53 carries through seven games, tallying 205 yards and three touchdowns. Hunt's potential absence could be the opportunity Smith has been looking for to increase his workload. The elusive back should see extensive work in the passing game as a change-of-pace option heading into a Week 8 matchup with a Commanders defense allowing 126 rushing yards per game.

Monday, October 20, 2:33 PM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Monday that he anticipates a continued workload split between his two running backs, Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. In the two games that Hubbard missed with an injured calf, Dowdle saw a total of 61 opportunities, which he converted into an unreal 470 yards and two scores. In Hubbard's first game back, the two saw a nearly 50/50 workload split, with Hubbard on the field for five more snaps than Dowdle, but Dowdle seeing 18 opportunities to Hubbard's 16. Dowdle was also the more efficient back on the day, averaging 5.3 yards per touch to Hubbard's 3.4, and managing a usable fantasy performance with his 96 yards. For fantasy managers who had feasted on his last two games, it was surely a disappointment, but in the right matchup, both backs should provide enough of a floor to help navigate bye weeks and injuries from the flex spot, especially as Hubbard continues to knock off the rust.