Chuba Hubbard vs Tucker Kraft

“Chuba Hubbard has had some nice moments during his time with the Panthers, but we saw him briefly lose the starting role to Rico Dowdle last season. I’m betting that something similar happens with Jonathon Brooks.”

“Same with Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks . Hubbard had 10 rushing scores in 2024 (their running backs had 12).”

“Chuba Hubbard is projected to be the lead back; however, his 2025 campaign saw him get overtaken by Rico Dowdle . In the offseason, Dowdle signed with the Steelers, but the path is still not completely clear for Hubbard.”

“These two go together, and I am going to start with Chuba Hubbard being pretty much replacement-level as a running back.”

“For example, take Chuba Hubbard : around 220 fantasy points, 1,195 rushing yards, and 10 TDs. That’s the Buffalo chicken wrap of fantasy football. Nothing overly fancy, but it delivered exactly what you wanted almost every single week: a dependable, satisfying lunch you could count on.”

“Chuba Hubbard signed a four-year, $33 million extension with this team just a couple of years ago, and the team drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.”

“Hubbard has always thrived on volume. The problem is that he might not get that going forward with Jonathon Brooks looming. It's going to take Brooks some time to ramp up and get acclimated; he hasn't played any meaningful football in years. Hubbard will start the season as the lead dog, but if he continues his inefficient ways, Brooks will be right behind him, ready to siphon off more work.”

“Chubba Hubbard still offers RB1 value on the Panthers' roster, but a healthy Jonathon Brooks offers a higher ceiling.”

“Hubbard was the RB14 in fantasy in 2024, so he was a solid bet to be a nice complementary piece on one's roster. Unfortunately, his efficiency metrics tumbled, he dealt with a calf injury for much of the season, and he ultimately lost his starting job to Rico Dowdle. Across 15 starts, he totaled just 511 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.”

“The Panthers let Rico Dowdle walk this offseason, making Hubbard the heavy favorite to be the team's Week 1 starter. However, Jonathon Brooks is getting healthy and could earn more work as the year progresses. Meanwhile, both running backs have an awful fantasy playoff schedule. The Bengals added Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen this offseason. Furthermore, the Steelers and Seahawks had two of the top run defenses in the NFL last year.”

“Chuba Hubbard followed up his big breakout 2024 season with a stinker in 2025. Last year, Chuba Hubbard fell apart as the RB40 in fantasy points per game. Yes, he dealt with a calf injury for part of the season, but he also lost his starting job during the season to Rico Dowdle.”

“If Brooks is a shadow of what he was as a prospect or gets injured again, Hubbard has a path to top-end fantasy production.”

“Tucker Kraft is expected to be ready for Week 1. Let’s not forget how dominant he was before getting injured, showing incredible upside.”

“But I also like midrange TE1s such as Tucker Kraft and Kyle Pitts . And the TE position is so deep that you can spend down and still come away with George Kittle or Travis Kelce , who were considered elites at the position not long ago.”

“The impending free agent finished second among all TEs in YAC/catch – trailing only Tucker Kraft.”

“Players Trey McBride, Jake Ferguson, Tucker Kraft, and AJ Barner all made significant jumps in their second season over the past three years.”

“Last year, Tucker Kraft averaged the second most fantasy points per game at 12.7”

“With only Tucker Kraft , Jayden Reed , and second-year receiver Matthew Golden , opportunities should be endless”

“Tucker Kraft is a personal favorite of mine. Before his ACL tear last season, he was dominating the tight end position. In the eighth round in a league where the FLEX position can be used for a tight end, a duo of Warren and Kraft could be excellent.”

“If Green Bay slowly eases him in, I wouldn’t be shocked, but Kraft could easily be a monster value at the tight end position in 2026 if he comes roaring back at 100% earlier than we anticipate.”

“Last year, before losing the rest of his season to a torn ACL (Week 9), Tucker Kraft was the TE1 in fantasy points per game. In Weeks 1-8, among 33 qualifying tight ends, Kraft ranked seventh in target share (18.3%), first in receiving yards per game (67), second in yards per route run (2.71), seventh in first-read share (21.6%), and second in first downs per route run (0.121, per Fantasy Points Data). Kraft was also a YAC gawd, leading all tight ends in yards after the catch per reception and missed tackles forced per reception.”

“It should be noted, though, that Watson only had 8 targets last season in the two games both he and Tucker Kraft played, so it’s not a clean copy-and-paste to 2026.”

“But Tucker Kraft is an elite talent who is getting unduly pushed down, and his value compared to Warren’s value makes Warren a less interesting click, for me.”

“At the time of his injury, Kraft ranked ninth in catches, third in yards, and second in touchdowns, with a 30/469/6 line. He did this while having a bye week, and his 67 yards per game led the position.”