Arizona D a plus matchup for Chuba Hubbard
In Week 16, the Panthers face a Cardinals defense that has been struggling against both the pass and run. Arizona is the sixth-best matchup for opposing running backs in terms of fantasy points allowed. Chuba Hubbard is one of the only playable assets in the Panthers offense, anyway, especially in the fantasy playoffs. He has not come off the field much in the last two, with 97.1-percent and 92.7-percent Snap Shares in Weeks 14 and 15, respectively.
Mike Boone (now reverted to the practice squad) was the only other back to receiver a carry in Week 15, taking two carries for 14 yards. Raheem Blackshear and Velus Jones are the only other backs on the active roster. Neither has carried the ball or received a target in the Carolina offense yet this season. There are not many backs who are going to get a more dominant share of their backfield than Hubbard. He’s a solid RB2 play against the Cardinals.
The Carolina passing attack is not exactly one to rely on in the second round of the fantasy playoffs. Adam Thielen has been the most prominent target for Bryce Young, earning 32 targets since returning from injury in Week 13. The veteran wide receiver has led the team in targets for three straight games, but brought in just five of seven passes for 51 scoreless yards in Week 15.
The Cardinals secondary has been ineffective against the run in real football terms (No. 32 in Dropback Success Rate Against), but stingy against fantasy wide receivers. They give up the 12th-least fantasy points to receivers. Thielen is an okay PPR flex play this week. The rest of the Panthers pass catchers are low-volume avoids.
– Joel Ybarra, @metaffb
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has a ...
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (knee) is ...
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is lined up to...
Carolina offense continues muted production despite Bryce Young bounceback
The Panthers hit the under on their 22.5 implied total Sunday versus the Cowboys. For the second straight game, Carolina failed to top 20 points. They have scored two touchdowns in each of the last two contests, Bryce Young accounting for both against the Cowboys. He threw an 83-yard TD pass to rookie receiver Jalen Coker, who caught four total passes for 110 yards and the touchdown. Young also ran for one score, totaling 12 yards on the ground. He was 19-for-28 passing for 219 yards and one TD.
With Jonathon Brooks out the remainder of the season, Chuba Hubbard owned the majority of the backfield work. The running backs rushed just 12 times, however, in a low-volume game for the Carolina offense. Hubbard rushed 10 times for 32 yards and caught all four of his targets for 17 yards. The Panthers offense is having more success as of late, but is not one to target for fantasy.
– Joel Ybarra, @metaffb
Panthers get generous Dallas defense in first round of fantasy playoffs
In Week 15, the first round of the fantasy playoffs, the Panthers get a Cowboys defense that has been allowing fantasy production, especially against the run. Unfortunately, just as Jonathon Brooks was getting introduced into the Carolina offense, he re-tore his ACL. Chuba Hubbard will continue getting high volume in the backfield with only Mike Boone and Velus Jones to back him up. In a now-proficient offense, Hubbard is a must-start RB2.
Bryce Young faces a Cowboys defense that allows the 29th-most fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs and 23rd-most to WRs. Young has a relatively low ceiling as a fantasy play. Adam Thielen has been his go-to weapon in the last two, catching 17 of 21 targets for 201 yards and a TD over that stretch. The other pass game weapons have limited outcomes, with no one pass catcher catching more than five passes over the last two contests.
– Joel Ybarra, @metaffb
Bryce Young and Carolina offense improving, devastating setback for rookie RB
The Panthers are on the ascent in recent weeks, as evidenced by some recent tight contests against some of the league’s best teams. Carolina were just one Xavier Legette drop away from being in scoring position in the final minutes of Sunday’s game before losing to the Eagles.
Bryce Young is playing some of his best football, but still not providing at a prolific rate for fantasy. He was the QB20 in fantasy scoring in Week 14 even while compiling 29 yards rushing on seven rush attempts. The only pass catcher to record a difference-making fantasy performance was Adam Thielen, who brought in nine receptions for 102 yards. Xavier Legette drew eight targets, but caught just two for 39 yards. David Moore recorded five targets, but caught just two for 25 yards. Tight end Tommy Tremble caught the lone receiving touchdown, his only reception for two total yards receiving.
Unfortunately, rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is reported to have re-torn his ACL, the injury that landed him on IR for the early part of the season. That means Chuba Hubbard, who has seen bell cow usage with Brooks out, will continue to see difference-making usage down the stretch (Miles Sanders is also on IR with an ankle injury). Hubbard saw 26 carries and five targets in this one, and scored the Panthers other touchdown on the ground. Hubbard is in position to make an impact in the fantasy playoffs.
– Joel Ybarra, @metaffb
Panthers draw Eagles D that is effective against run and pass
A resurgent Carolina Panthers offense led by second-year QB Bryce Young takes on a stingy Eagles defense in Week 14. The Eagles’ defensive unit is top-five in fantasy points allowed to opposing fantasy QBs, RBs and WRs. The Eagles are a less-than-ideal matchup for Young and the Carolina offensive weapons, even despite the fact that Young has come on as of late. The Alabama product threw 46 passes, completing 26 for 298 yards (both season highs) against the Bucs in Week 13, but that was an overtime game against the Bucs, who have a bottom-third D against the pass.
The Eagles have allowed a 300-yard passing game only once this season (Baker Mayfield in Week 4). They have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher on the season and have only allowed two 100-yard receiving games (Jayden Reed and Puka Nacua). The Panthers weapons are not exactly elite and Young has only one 300-yard passing game in his young career (last season).
Expectations should be tempered, but with six teams on bye in Week 14 and the fantasy playoffs looming, fantasy gamers may be in a position to start some Panthers. David Moore and Xavier Legette led the team in routes and targets over the last two weeks (post-bye), but Adam Thielen is the receptions (12) and yards (156) leader over that span. The 34-year-old vet is the most startable pass catcher and could see volume if the Panthers are playing from behind. That is likely since the Eagles are favored by nearly two touchdowns. Legette and Moore will have opportunities, but only hit their upside when scoring a touchdown.
Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is now sharing the backfield with rookie Jonathon Brooks. Brooks had half as many (six) carries as Hubbard (12) in Week 13, but three targets to Hubbard’s zero, although Hubbard ran 29 routes to Brooks’ seven. Fantasy gamers will want to look elsewhere for RB production if possible.
– Joel Ybarra, @metaffb
Bryce Young best performance of season in loss
Bryce Young threw for his high passing yardage total of the season (263, second highest of his career) and the Panthers were in the game all the way to the end on Sunday before falling to the Chiefs 30-27. The Panthers also scored their second-highest points total on the season against a tough Chiefs defense.
Young threw for a TD and added 20 rushing yards for his highest fantasy finish (QB14) of 2024. Chuba Hubbard notched his sixth top-12 RB finish of the season, rushing 16 times for 58 yards and a TD. The other Panthers touchdown went to WR David Moore, who led the team with 10 targets. Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks made his NFL debut vs. the Chiefs, but carried the ball just two times while Hubbard shouldered the bulk of the workload as he has all season.
Overall, the Panthers are a young team apart from 33-year-old vet Adam Thielen. Thielen, incidentally, returned to action in this game and earned four targets while running the third-most routes on the team behind Moore and rookie Xavier Legette. With Diontae Johnson gone, Legette is the Panther with the most targets on the season (51), but he was quiet in this one, catching four of six targets for 56 scoreless yards.
– Joel Ybarra, @metaffb
