Fantasy football: Carolina Panthers running backs preview

No offense was more putrid than the Carolina Panthers last season. They finished last in yards (265.3 per game), last in points (13.9), and last in passing (161.2). The lone bright spot, if you can call it that, was the running game, which ranked 20th in yards per game (104.1) and tied for 21st in yards per carry (4.0), though they were one of three clubs to rush for a league-low seven touchdowns.

Part of the problem was that running back Miles Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25 million deal, to come over from the Philadelphia Eagles, struggled mightily and lost his starting job to Chuba Hubbard, which is not what the team had in mind. Rather than dip back into free agency to try and upgrade the backfield, Carolina instead traded up in the second round to select Jonathon Brooks, the first running back taken in this year’s draft.

Development from quarterback Bryce Young will help loosen things up for the backs, and reports from Panthers camp have been positive on that front. While we’ll have to wait and see how the offense looks in Week 1, let’s check out Carolina’s options at running back.

Chuba Hubbard

There’s nothing flashy about Hubbard, but injuries and poor performances have frequently thrust him into a featured role since being drafted in 2021. In three seasons, he has led the Panthers in rushing twice, including last year when he turned 238 carries into 902 yards (3.8 YPC) and five touchdowns. With nearly 600 career touches, the Panthers are keenly aware of what Hubbard is, and, perhaps more importantly, what he is not.

To that end, the front office reportedly heavily scouted this year’s draft class before selecting Brooks, a clear indicator they felt they needed more from the position. Hubbard figures to be the Week 1 starter and could shoulder the heaviest load while Brooks works his way back from injury, but he appears to be running on borrowed time in Charlotte.

Jonathon Brooks

Considered by many to be the top running back prospect in this year’s draft, Brooks might have gone even earlier than 46th overall if he wasn’t coming off a torn ACL suffered last November. On that front, he’s still on the Non-Football Injury list and has been ruled out for the preseason — head coach Dave Canales recently indicated the rookie could make his debut sometime around Weeks 3 or 4. Maybe we’ll get more clarity surrounding the injury timeline before the season kicks off.

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Once Brooks returns, he’s expected to take over the lead job as soon as he’s able. Although there’ll likely be a ramping up period, the Texas product has the goods. His quickness, burst, and vision have all drawn praise, and he’s more advanced than most rookies in pass protection to go along with being a capable receiver out of the backfield. He has a good build and brings a dynamic element to the backfield that hasn’t existed in Carolina since they traded RB Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.

MIles Sanders

Coming off a 1,269-yard, 11-touchdown season with the Eagles, Sanders was supposed to be RB1 for the Panthers last year. Instead, he never got going, managing 158 yards on 54 carries (2.9 YPC) over the first four games. After that, his role shrunk, and he ran the ball just 14 times over the final four weeks.

Were it not for a cap hit of over $10 million were he to be released, Sanders might be gone. As it stands, he’s penciled in as the No. 3 back that’s likely to see time only in the event of injury. Presuming Brooks regains form, don’t be surprised if an RB-hungry inquires about Sanders’ availability during the season.

Fantasy football outlook

Even though Hubbard is set to open the season as the No. 1 back, he’s only keeping the spot warm until Brooks can get healthy enough to return to action. The rookie is the main attraction here thanks to his explosiveness and a skill set that portends a potential three-down role. The question mark, of course, is the condition of his knee. If he misses three or four games, and then spends a few weeks knocking the rust off, Brooks might be featured for only half a season.

Investing in Brooks as your RB3 mitigates the risk, and you could have a top-25 guy by season’s end.

As for Hubbard, he should offer decent value early on before trailing off, and there’s always the chance he is a 1b to Brooks down the stretch. That’s probably enough to call his name as a No. 4 fantasy back.

Sanders can be ignored for now since we expect to see Brooks before bye weeks are a factor.