Fantasy Football Player Notes

Hubbard blew away everyone's expectations last year as the RB13 in fantasy points per game. He was the Panther's everydown workhorse and is primed to roll back into that job this year. Last season, he ranked third in snap share, fourth in opportunity share, 12th in weighted opportunities, and 14th in red zone touches. If Carolina's offense can improve in 2025, the red zone numbers should climb. In 2024, Carolina ranked 24th in yards per play and 21st in red zone scoring attempts per game. The addition of Tetairoa McMillan, the continued development of Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, and the ascension of Bryce Young should improve those numbers. Hubbard has the talent and projected workload to crack the top ten backs in 2025. Last year, he ranked 11th in explosive run rate and seventh in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data).

After his breakout season, sadly, the Cowboys kicked Rico Dowdle to the curb. He signed with the Carolina Panthers and enters the year as the likely handcuff to Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle was awesome last year as the RB24 in fantasy points per game with 274 touches and 1,328 total yards. Dowdle could have had an even better season if Dallas had quit playing around with a rotation and leaned on him as "the guy" all year. In Weeks 9-18, Dowdler averaged 19.9 touches and 95.1 total yards (RB19), and he ranked 16th in explosive run rate and seventh in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). If Hubbard were to miss any time, Dowdle would be a plug-and-play RB2. He's a strong handcuff option this season.