Fantasy Football Panthers Running Back Breakdown: Rico Dowdle or Chuba Hubbard; Maybe Both?

The Carolina Panthers are creating a little buzz over the past two weeks, and Rico Dowdle has been a big reason why.

Now starting running back Chuba Hubbard is nearing a return, so everyone is wondering what the Carolina backfield might look like.

Let's break things down from a fantasy football perspective.

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Running Back Stats

With Hubbard sidelined the past two weeks, Dowdle has been nothing short of amazing.

He had 389 rushing yards and a score over 53 carries the past two weeks. Dowdle has added 84 receiving yards and a score on seven receptions and nine targets.

In the first four games of the season, Dowdle had 83 rushing yards and a score on 28 carries, while adding 20 receiving yards on five catches and six targets. He was playing roughly 35% of the team's offensive snaps in that stretch, while jumping to 77% the past two weeks.

Hubbard was playing 68.6% of the team's offensive snaps in the first three weeks, before it fell to 50.7% when he got hurt in week 4.

Hubbard had 217 rushing yards on 53 carries in the first four games. He added 94 receiving yards and two scores on 13 catches and 17 targets.

Fantasy Outlooks

As long as Hubbard is out, Dowdle will remain a good weekly starting option. The same would go for Hubbard if Dowdle were to ever go down, or leave the team (more on that soon).

When they are both healthy and active, the anticipation is now for them to split the backfield. Neither back seems too worried about splitting carries.

From a fantasy football perspective though, them splitting the backfield is not great for their fantasy outlooks. Obviously, a lead back is a better starting option than a guy splitting a backfield.

Carolina has room on its offense for two backs to get enough work to be relevant fantasy assets though. In the right matchups, both could be standard league starters too. In tougher tests, you are probably looking more at two deep-league starting options.

Let's say Hubbard returns this week. The Panthers play the Jets, which is an average matchup for a running back.

I had Dowdle ranked 19th among my top-30 PPR back for week 7, but that was with the expectation that Dowdle would lead the backfield. I think the Panthers would ease Hubbard back into things, and that could mean a 50/50 split, or Dowdle getting the edge in touches.

After what Dowdle has done the past two weeks, I'd still like to start him in most fantasy setups. If you have better options, then bench him, and look to trade him maybe.

The fantasy owners who have been rostering Hubbard have been itching to get him back in their lineups, and some will start him in standard leagues out of necessity. 

In reality, both Dowdle and Hubbard are risky standard starting options for week 7. They are each fine deep-league options. 

I'd prefer a more favorable matchup, but I wouldn't hate starting either guy in a standard league. Just know the risk of a potential dud you could get from each back.

Long-Term Outlook

The matchups are so-so for the Carolina backs the rest of the season, so if you want to rid yourself of the weekly headache of determining which to start, trading them both away might make the most sense.

I could see them splitting the backfield the rest of the season, especially if the team remains in the playoff hunt - which I personally don't see happening. 

Ideally, the Panthers lose a couple games and become sellers at the trade deadline. There's a good chance they'd trade Hubbard or Dowdle to the highest bidder, and then both backs could see their fantasy outlooks increase.

So what I'm saying is that you should be rostering both Dowdle and Hubbard at least through the trade deadline, as we'll have an idea on what to expect by then. Again though, if you don't want the headache now, trading either back should net you a pretty good return.

This only goes for standard leagues though. Both backs are good weekly options in deeper leagues, and might end up being starters from here on out.

I'm really intrigued to see how the Panthers utilize both backs going forward. Will each back get enough touches to be relevant fantasy assets? Will the team ride the hot hand? Can the Carolina offense even support two backs?

We'll hopefully start getting answers to some of these questions this weekend. This likely won't be the last time we go over the Carolina backfield, so keep checking back to FantasySP for the latest on this situation, and many others!