- Chuba Hubbard’s breakout 2024 season leads to relatively high expectations: Hubbard handled a top-10 workload in 2024 en route to an RB1 finish, though replicating that volume — and the results — could prove challenging in 2025.
- Kenneth Walker is primed to bounce back in 2025: Though injuries limited his availability, Walker’s workload when healthy offers plenty of optimism for his 2025 outlook.
- Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!
This fantasy football article series breaks down the toughest draft-day decisions facing fantasy managers, using Underdog’s average draft position (ADP) as a guide. Each installment compares similarly ranked players at the same position, using key stats from previous seasons and contextual factors — including team situation — to identify the better pick.
Today’s matchup will highlight Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard and Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, as we determine the best option at the end of Round 5 in 2025 fantasy drafts.
CHUBA HUBBARD (RB18) vs. KENNETH WALKER III (RB19)
Hubbard took over as the Panthers’ lead back in 2024 and performed well enough to earn an in-season contract extension, finishing as a fantasy RB1 for the first time in his career. While he’s not expected to repeat that level based on his current ADP, expectations are much higher than they were entering last season, when he was considered more of a sleeper candidate.
Walker has carried lofty expectations since entering the league but has seen his fantasy finish dip each year, from RB18 in 2022 to RB20 in 2023 and RB25 in 2024. Injuries have played a role in that decline, but his talent and opportunity still offer RB1 upside if he can stay healthy in 2025.
UTILIZATION IN THE RUNNING GAME
Hubbard’s expanded role in 2024 propelled him into a top-10 ranking at the position in opportunities per game (20.1), and he finished top-12 in both carries (250) and targets (52). He successfully held off Miles Sanders and also benefited from an injury-shortened rookie season for Jonathon Brooks. While Hubbard will face competition again in 2025, his production and familiarity with Dave Canales’ offense make him the favorite to lead the way in most key categories.
Walker averaged 18.6 opportunities per game — good for a top-12 mark at the position — and posted 16.5 fantasy points per game. Despite a career-low 153 carries, he achieved career highs in overall rushing grade (91.3) and missed tackles forced (61). With Walker firmly atop the depth chart in Seattle, a full and healthy season could finally yield the RB1 production many have been waiting for.
UTILIZATION IN THE PASSING GAME
Hubbard was involved on passing downs but struggled to make an impact, finishing with a 39.5 receiving grade — 57th out of 58 qualifying running backs. Even with a solid 52 targets (tied for 12th among RBs), he ranked 57th in yards per route run and scored just one receiving touchdown. While it's hard to be less efficient than he was last year, the bigger concern for 2025 is whether the Panthers begin phasing him out of that role.
Walker, meanwhile, set a new career high in targets (52) despite playing a career-low number of games in 2024. He overtook Zach Charbonnet as the team’s primary receiving back — a reversal from 2023 — aided in part by Geno Smith ranking fifth in total RB targets (101) and throwing to backs on 17.5% of his passes. However, Sam Darnold is now at the helm and has historically targeted running backs at a below-average rate (13.5%), which could limit Walker’s receiving upside.
UTILIZATION IN SCORING RANGE
Hubbard dominated goal-to-go carries in Carolina last season, converting seven of his 10 rushing touchdowns from those high-leverage situations. His 113 red zone snaps were among the best at the position, which is especially notable given the Panthers’ below-average total red zone plays as a team.
When healthy, Walker was clearly Seattle’s top option in scoring situations, out-snapping Zach Charbonnet in both the red zone and goal-to-go scenarios despite missing six games. The Seahawks’ trust in Walker near the goal line will be key if he’s going to push for double-digit touchdowns for the first time in his career.
TEAM-LEVEL SITUATION
The Panthers ranked well below average in run rate last season, mainly due to frequently playing from behind. That could change in 2025 if Bryce Young builds on his strong finish to 2024, potentially allowing the team to lean more on the run, an area where they quietly excelled last season behind a top-10 run-blocking unit.
The Seahawks also ranked near the bottom of the league in run rate last year, but with Klint Kubiak taking over as offensive coordinator, that number is expected to rise in 2025, even if just to league-average levels. Kubiak’s past offenses have generally favored the run, and any uptick would position Walker as the primary beneficiary, even if he continues to share passing-down work with Charbonnet.
POTENTIAL 2025 BACKFIELD COMPETITION
Rico Dowdle joins the Panthers' backfield after leading all Cowboys running backs in carries and production in 2024. While he’s unlikely to replicate that role in Carolina, Dowdle’s solid showing as a first-year starter suggests he could take some work off Hubbard’s plate this season. Given that, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a more balanced workload in the Panthers’ run game compared to Hubbard’s top-10 usage rate last year.
Charbonnet logged a career-high 135 carries in 2024 and turned them into eight rushing touchdowns, but much of that volume stemmed from Walker’s injury-related absences. Charbonnet’s involvement should scale back in 2025 unless Walker misses more time. He previously handled most of the passing-down work as a rookie, but in games when Walker was healthy last season, that role shifted more toward Walker — a trend that boosts his outlook heading into this year.
While the final decision is yours, don’t go into your draft blind. Check out PFF’s latest fantasy football rankings to see exactly where Chuba Hubbard, Kenneth Walker and the rest of your targets stack up heading into 2025.
© 2025 PFF - all rights reserved.