Fantasy Football Draft Debate: Jonathon Brooks vs. Chuba Hubbard

The Carolina Panthers backfield situation is as uncertain as ever. They have two players on their team who could both be the RB1, Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks, and as the offseason has progressed, the situation of who that will be has not gotten any less blurry. With that, here is a breakdown of who to take in fantasy drafts between Brooks and Hubbard

Chuba Hubbard

Hubbard in 2025 saw his usage dwindle from the start of the season to the end. That came with the emergence of RB Rico Dowdle. In 2025, Dowdle had 1,076 rushing yards, 297 receiving yards, and seven TDs.

Hubbard, in 2025, through his first six games, had 79 carries. In the last six games he played in, he had a total of 43 carries. In 2025, he ended the season with 511 rushing yards, 223 receiving yards, and four TDs. In PPR formats, he finished as RB38.

Hubbard will have a better chance of becoming and staying the Panthers' RB1 for 2026, with his competition being Brooks. The difference between Brooks and Dowdle is pretty drastic because of their experience. Dowdle has played five seasons and is coming off back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards. Brooks, on the other hand, is entering his third season and has only logged three career games. He missed all of 2025 with an ACL injury.

In other news, Hubbard recently returned to practice. He missed some time during the offseason, as he was dealing with a right hamstring injury he sustained in the middle of August.

Hubbard’s current ADP in PPR formats for ESPN leagues is RB33,

Jonathon Brooks

The talent is there with Brooks. He is a dynamic runner, hence why Carolina drafted him in the second round in 2024. He has looked solid in training camp and has done well in the preseason. In the preseason, he had eight carries for 23 yards and one TD.

The main concern regarding Brooks and his fantasy outlook for 2026 is his availability. As mentioned, he is coming off a major injury, and his status may be up in the air again. On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the same day that Hubbard returned to practice, Brooks was a non-participant. He is said to be experiencing soreness, which, coming off an ACL tear, is not rare in the slightest. Nevertheless, it is notable.

Brooks' current ADP for ESPN leagues in PPR formats is RB32.

Final Verdict

When it comes to who is a better fantasy draft pick between Hubbard and Brooks, Hubbard is.

Hubbard has already built rapport with the Panthers’ offense and has had success as an RB1 before in the 2023 season. That year he had 1,195 rushing yards and 11 TDs. In PPR fantasy formats in 2023, Hubbard finished as RB14. Choosing to bank on Brooks to have a breakout season, given his injury history and having no success at the NFL level yet, is too big of an ask, making Hubbard the safer and better fantasy pick.

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