Chuba Hubbard a Fantasy Winner to Start Free Agency

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard was one of 2024's most successful fantasy breakouts, finishing his fourth professional season as the RB15, but 2025 brought hardships in the form of injuries and a frustrating timeshare with Rico Dowdle. With Dowdle now agreeing to a two-year pact with the Steelers in the opening hours of the NFL's legal tampering window, Hubbard again finds himself with a chance to claim the top spot on the depth chart. After a day in which the Panthers committed to spending big on the defensive side of the ball, the running backs' room is left with Hubbard, the oft-injured Jonathon Brooks, and 2025 fourth-round pick Trevor Etienne. If the team believes in the receiving prowess of Brooks and Etienne, this very well could be the trio they enter the 2026 season with, perhaps with the addition of a late-round depth piece from a rookie class not necessarily touted for the strength of its running back group.

Source: RotoBaller