The NFL season is quickly approaching, and fantasy drafts are in full swing. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
This is a look at the fantasy value of all the players in the Carolina Panthers’ backfield.
Carolina Panthers Offense
The Panthers are hoping to finally take a real step forward in the 2025-26 season. Bryce Young’s rookie season was a disappointment, and there was a coaching change in Carolina, bringing in Dave Canales to try to correct this offense. At the start of last season, it looked like more of the same from Young and the Panthers. Young was benched, and Andy Dalton started a few games. It turns out that time away could be exactly what Young needed to launch his career. After returning to the starting quarterback job for the final few weeks of the season, the 2023 first overall pick looked more confident and capable than ever before at the NFL level, and some of the Panthers’ young offensive weapons started to shine.
Their bye week was in Week 11 last season. From Weeks 12-18, the Panthers ranked seventh in the NFL in offensive EPA/play, 11th in EPA/dropback and 13th in EPA/rush. Young and Canales started to find their groove once he returned to the starting role, then after the bye week, the offense legitimately played like one of the best in the NFL. Young receivers like Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker played their roles, along with Adam Thielen, but Chuba Hubbard was the real standout performer in the offense. Hubbard rushed for 1,195 yards, the eighth-most in the NFL, despite only playing 15 games. If Young can pick up where he left off and Hubbard stays healthy, this offense has high hopes for the 2025-26 season.
Running Back Handcuff: Rico Dowdle
The Panthers brought in reinforcements to back up Hubbard this season. Last season, they brought in veteran Miles Sanders and drafted Jonathon Brooks out of Texas in the second round. Sanders had a disappointing stint, playing just 11 games and not running well when on the field. Brooks missed most of the season recovering from his torn ACL that he suffered in college. Then, after playing just three NFL games, Brooks re-tore the same ACL and is expected to miss all of this upcoming season. That made the Panthers bring in two fresh backs, signing Rico Dowdle after his stint with the Cowboys and drafting Trevor Etienne out of Georgia in the fourth round.
Dowdle is the best handcuff option for Hubbard for this upcoming season. Etienne is a promising young back, but the Panthers paid Dowdle to take some of the burden away from Hubbard. Dowdle was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Cowboys last season and can also be a weapon in the passing game. Hubbard proved he can be a top-ten running back in the NFL. However, Dowdle should take a share of the carries to help ensure that Hubbard does indeed stay healthy. The 27-year-old is a better weapon in the passing game than Hubbard, too. All of these factors make Dowdle the ideal handcuff this season.
