Who is Christian McCaffrey’s backup for fantasy football?

Week 7 update: The Panthers have traded Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers. D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard split time behind McCaffrey. Foreman has 12 carries through six weeks while Hubbard has six carries in that time. It’s not clear who will emerge as the leader of this backfield.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has been kneecapped by injuries the last two seasons. He appeared in just three games in 2020 due to ankle and shoulder injuries and another ankle ailment ended his 2021 campaign after just seven appearances.

C-Mac is healthy heading into this season and has remained a top commodity in fantasy football by being ranked second in average draft position. However, his recent injury history has shown that it’s probably wise to invest in a “handcuff” if one decides to take the veteran tailback. We’ll take a look at McCaffrey’s backup below.

Christian McCaffrey RB handcuff

McCaffrey’s backup in Carolina is Chuba Hubbard, who is entering his second season with the Panthers. The Oklahoma State product put up good numbers in McCaffrey’s absence as a rookie last season, running for 612 yards on 3.6 yards per carry and five touchdowns. He also caught 25 of 37 targets for 174 yards and a score through the air.

Hubbard finished last season as the 36th ranked running back in PPR formats. He is currently RB56 in average draft position, so don’t wait too late to scoop him up in your drafts.