ChubaHubbard

News: 5 days agoHead coach Dave Canales said Thursday that he's confident Hubbard (hamstring) will be available for the Panthers' regular-season opener against the Bears, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Spin: Canales revealed earlier Thursday that Hubbard is considered week-to-week due to a hamstring injury, but the head coach's clarification after Thursday's practice comes as a relief to Hubbard's prospective fantasy managers. Hubbard -- who had an MRI after feeling something grab in his hamstring during Wednesday's practice -- had originally been slated to work with Carolina's starters in Saturday's preseason opener against the Bills, but he will instead sit out while Jonathon Brooks will start, with Trevor Etienne and AJ Dillon also mixing in at running back.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Hubbard is coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he battled injury and lost lead-back duties to Rico Dowdle. The veteran was limited to 734 yards on 164 touches (he cleared 275 touches and 1,100 yards in 2023 and 2024), and he ranked 64th among 65 qualified backs in forced missed tackle rate and elusive rating, per PFF. Still in his prime at age 27, a bounce-back season is possible, especially with Dowdle gone and unproven Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne as his competition for touches. Hubbard should be considered a flex option.