The Carolina Panthers‘ RB depth chart could look very different in Week 18 than in Week 1. Veteran RB Miles Sanders lost his favor in Charlotte, N.C., with Chuba Hubbard taking over the RB1 role down the stretch. The Oklahoma State product now has 24 starts in three seasons, but Carolina invested in the first back off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jonathon Brooks.
Brooks is recovering from a November ACL tear and will begin the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which leaves the trio in a state of limbo heading into the new year of football.
Can any of them be useful for fantasy football managers this season? Let’s examine the fantasy outlooks for Brooks, Hubbard, and Sanders in 2024.
Jonathon Brooks’ Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 179.8 (148.3 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 862.3
- Rushing Touchdowns: 5.5
- Receptions: 31.6
- Receiving Yards: 248.1
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.8
There is no way of sugarcoating this: the Panthers’ offensive production under center in the first year with QB Bryce Young, the 2023 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, was rough.
2023 Panthers Offensive Ranks:
- Scoring: 13.9 points per game (tied for last in the league)
- Total Yards: 265.3 yards per game (last)
- Red-zone Trips: 36 (tied for last)
New head coach Dave Canales showed last year he’s willing to stay with a running back who struggles with efficiency if he believes he’s the best option for the team. Canales force-fed Rachaad White 272 carries despite him averaging a putrid 3.64 yards per carry behind an offensive line that had all kinds of issues.
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee Canales will overload a rookie RB rehabbing from a major knee injury with the type of volume necessary to make him a reliable fantasy starter in an offense that could be amongst the worst scoring units in the league.
Brooks’ current ADP at No. 84 overall (eighth round, RB31) suggests fantasy managers are certainly willing to assume the risks involved with his fantasy outlook approaching his rookie season. During Brooks’ lone year as Texas’ starter, glimpses of a three-down player who can be a featured back in the NFL were present, but the knee injury clouds his immediate upside.
Weighing the risk/reward of selecting Brooks at this price will come down to your personal preference. If you are a believer in his ability and think he can take the definitive leading role early in his rookie year, then this price point is pretty reasonable.
Unfortunately, drafting Brooks at this price is likely to bring him far closer to his ceiling than his floor. If his price remains in the eighth round on draft day, I’m probably going to pass on the talented rookie.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Chuba Hubbard’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 149.9 (121.7 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 722.6
- Rushing Touchdowns: 4.3
- Receptions: 28.3
- Receiving Yards: 212.6
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.4
Hubbard’s case is interesting since we’re talking about a unique backfield. In a single RB room, we have an overpaid player, a promising rookie, and last season’s primary option. You could easily make the case for any of them to get the first crack at significant work to open the season, which is why the fantasy industry is approaching each of them with caution in drafts.
It’s possible, if not likely, that a Panther running back will provide significant value, but unless you’re willing to draft two of them, you’re playing with fire.
Brooks is the favorite to win this battle given the draft capital the team spent on him. But wouldn’t we have made Sanders this backfield’s unquestioned top dog for the entirety of 2023 based on the financial capital they poured into him?
Don’t get me wrong, I like Brooks more than Hubbard. At Texas last season, all he did was pile up 1,425 yards with 11 scores while averaging 6.7 yards per touch. He was phenomenal and could very well be a starting NFL running back for years to come.
That said, Brooks is going 6-7 rounds earlier than Hubbard, and that’s more than I’m willing to spend on an RB in an offense that, even if Carolina improves in a significant way, will likely finish 2024 well below average.
I’m not sold. Hubbard’s cost isn’t prohibitive, but I’d rather roll the dice on a player like Tyler Allgeier, who I think has a little more to offer on a per-touch basis and more upside, in my opinion, should the RB ahead of him on the depth chart go down.
You’re not drafting either (Hubbard or Allgeier) for their standalone value at the moment, so why not take the option with a greater ceiling?
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Miles Sanders’ Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 82.7 (68.1 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 477.5
- Rushing Touchdowns: 2.1
- Receptions: 14.6
- Receiving Yards: 79.5
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.1
Money talks — until it doesn’t. Sanders worked himself out of the regular rotation last season before the ink on his four-year deal dried, and the team continued to bet against the veteran by spending the 46th overall pick on Brooks in April.
In drafting handcuffs, I want to have the opportunity to squeeze value out of a situation as the fantasy playoffs approach. That simply doesn’t appear likely with Brooks starting the season on the PUP and thus more likely to be in good health by the winter.
This team clearly is not beholden to the contract, and that makes Sanders undraftable entering the 2024 season.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst