5 Biggest NFL Training Camp Battles for Fantasy Football

Fantasy football preparation is fully underway, and FanDuel Research has you covered with plenty of content.

With Week 1 kicking off September 4, many drafts will take place over the next month. Training camps are only about one week away, giving us our first insights into how rosters could shake out.

Most positional battles will be decided in training camps, and those battles will make clear impacts on fantasy football drafts. Which training camp battles could have the biggest impact on fantasy football?

Biggest NFL Training Camp Battles for Fantasy Football

Chargers' Two-Man Battle for RB1

The Los Angeles Chargers had the 10th-highest rush-play rate in 2024, helping boost J.K. Dobbins to RB17 in fantasy points per game in half-PPR. With coach Jim Harbaugh loving to lean on the run, this backfield should consistently provide some kind of fantasy value.

L.A. brought in Najee Harris via free agency and spent a first-round pick on Omarion Hampton. Harris has a mixed history in fantasy, including an RB4 finish in 2021 before looking like the lesser back in a timeshare with Jaylen Warren later in his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hampton was a workhorse with the North Carolina Tar Heels, totaling more than 1,500 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons to finish his collegiate career.

More than likely, this will be a split backfield from start to finish. However, the back who emerges as the top option should provide some fantasy value. Hampton carries an average draft position (ADP) of 45.0 -- per FantasyPros' half-PPR ADP -- (RB17) while Harris is 96.0 (RB33), so fantasy managers clearly prefer the rookie.

The Bolts' upcoming training camp will be an opportunity for both backs to stake their claim to the RB1 role in LA.

Broncos Backfield Could Be a Headache Again

As usual, the Denver Broncos' backfield is gearing up to give fantasy managers more nightmares.

Last season featured as many as three backs, and that total could rise to four in 2025. While Javonte Williams left in free agency, the Broncos signed the aforementioned J.K. Dobbins and drafted RJ Harvey. Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime remain part of the roster, as well.

Harvey was circled in our five rookies to watch for fantasy football. We certainly can't completely overlook Dobbins as he turned in solid production last season, finishing 25th in true yards per carry (4.2) and 7th in explosive rating, per PlayerProfiler. Estime and McLaughlin are still young with room to grow, too.

The season hasn't even started, and this backfield already feels like a headache. For now, fantasy managers have picked out Harvey (ADP of RB23) as the Denver RB to zero in on as he's coming off the board quite a bit earlier than Dobbins (RB39) is. But if this winds up being close to an even split, Dobbins may prove to be the better value.

Youngsters Pushing for RB Touches in Jacksonville

After finishing as RB3 in 2023, Travis Etienne experienced a brutal slide to RB36 last season. Missing two games didn't help, but most of this was due to a dysfunctional Jacksonville Jaguars offense paired with Tank Bigsby enjoying a breakout campaign.

Ending the year as the RB32, Bigsby felt underutilized considering his exceptional production of 4.6 yards per carry on 168 rushing attempts. He was Jacksonville's most efficient tailback by a mile. With Liam Coen taking over as the Jags' new head coach, there could be a clearer effort to use Bigsby.

Things got more complicated when Jacksonville selected Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Tuten had NFL.com's fifth-highest athleticism score among running backs in the 2025 class, running a 4.32-second 40-yard dash paired with a 40.5-inch vertical jump. Tuten's athleticism alone could warrant some touches in 2025.

NFL training camps have plenty of backfields with drama, including the Dallas Cowboys. The Jaguars are one of several running back rooms featuring three or four RBs with fantasy upside.

Packers Have a Crowded Receiver Corps

We've focused on running backs so far, but there are several wide receiving corps worth watching. The Green Bay Packers are one of them.

The Pack totaled the fourth-most yards per passing attempt in 2024 (8.1), and Jordan Love could continue to grow as a starting quarterback.

The receiving room got even more crowded in the offseason with Green Bay adding Mecole Hardman in free agency while drafting Matthew Golden in the first round of the draft and Savion Williams in the third. Keep in mind this is a WR room that already has Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks.

Golden's potential role will likely be the biggest key to watch. He currently has the second-highest ADP among Green Bay's WR group, being selected at 104.5 overall and as WR46. FantasyPros' consensus rankings have Golden as WR54 and 136 overall, though, so he may be overvalued. Per FantasyPros' rankings, Doubs is actually showing the best value out of Reed, Watson, Doubs, and Golden, as he is ranked 156 and as WR60 in consensus rankings, compared to his 176.5 and WR68 ADP.

More than likely, only one -- if any -- of these receivers will provide consistent fantasy value -- especially with the Packers carrying the third-highest rush-play rate from 2024.

Who Will Be the Colts' Starting Quarterback?

Several starting quarterback competitions will take place over the next two months, including the New Orleans Saints' battle between Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler. The Indianapolis Colts' upcoming competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will likely have more of an impact on fantasy football.

Richardson has been consistently hyped as a high-upside fantasy piece due to his mobility. Jones, meanwhile, finished as the QB9 in 2022 due in large part to his legs, proving he has true fantasy potential, too.

We know this is a legitimate QB battle as general manager Chris Ballard said there would be an open competition. After coach Shane Steichen said the two would split reps in the spring, Richardson sustained a shoulder injury. He could already be one step behind Jones, although Richardson is expected to return at some point during training camp.

The two have nearly the same ADP as Richardson is 187.5 overall and QB29 while Jones sits at 195.0 and QB31. This one is truly a coin toss right now, and depending on how you spin it, either signal-caller is likely worth a late-round pick in two-QB formats.

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