Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Chuba Hubbard

Saturday, July 12, 2:22 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is entering the final year of his two-year, $41 million deal in 2025, and The Athletic's Dan Pompei writes that the team could have a difficult time retaining the future Hall of Famer beyond this season, especially at a similar price to what they just re-signed Chris Godwin at. Despite being close to turning 32 years old, Evans hasn't shown signs of slowing down, posting 1,000 yards receiving in 2024 for the 11th straight season while also scoring 11 touchdowns. Tampa certainly doesn't want to lose one of the greatest players in franchise history who is also highly respected in the locker room, but it remains to be seen how this will play out following the 2025 season after they took wideout Emeka Egbuka in the first round this year. For fantasy purposes, Evans is a high-end WR2.

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.