Fantasy Football Training Camp Battles 2024: Running Back

Training camps have started, are starting, and will start around the NFL, which means the NFL and fantasy football seasons are almost here. And while preseason performance isn’t as important, there is one thing fantasy managers should definitely keep an eye on during training camp and the preseason: competition for playing time.

A year ago around this time we analyzed the position battles in training camp to see, and often the winner didn’t matter all that much, but also… Jake Ferguson won the Cowboys’ TE battle, finishing as the TE9 in fantasy. Raheem Mostert finished over Jeff Wilson and was the RB5. D’Andre Swift over Rashaad Penny, Brian Robinson over Antonio Gibson, Baker Mayfield over Kyle Trask, Sam Howell over Jacoby Brissett… just because you’re in a position battle in training camp doesn’t mean the winner can’t become a major fantasy factor going into the season, and so as fantasy managers we need to stay on top of those battles.

So we look at the position battles that we have to see in training camp. Sometimes there’s an incumbent who doesn’t have a firm grasp on the starting position. Sometimes there’s a rookie who’s pushing for a gig. Sometimes it’s a disappointing group of options. Either way, whoever gets the job has a chance in fantasy, and we need to know that.

Today: Running backs

Follow the series: QB | more to come!

Training Camp Position Battles to Watch: Running Back

Pittsburgh Steelers

Najee Harris vs. Jaylen Warren

Would you be surprised to learn that there was never a point in the 2023 season where Najee Harris had more PPR points than Jaylen Warren? Because it’s true:

Harris made things interesting at the end, with the backs finishing as the RB22 (Warren, 196.4) and RB23 (Harris, 195.5) in PPR leagues. Everyone expects the Steelers to give Harris the lion’s share of the workload in 2024, almost certainly his final year in Pittsburgh when he enters free agency. But if we get to camp and Warren runs ahead of Harris, he’ll have a high fantasy ceiling.

Carolina Panthers

Jonathon Brooks vs. Chuba Hubbard vs. Rashaad Penny vs. Miles Sanders

Miles Sanders was supposed to fix the backfield in Carolina, at least for a few years. Instead, he kind of screwed it up. Sanders, who never ran for fewer than 4.6 yards per attempt in four years in Philadelphia, ran for a paltry 3.3 for the Panthers. That was fourth-worst among the 53 players with at least 100 carries last year. 14^e Worst on that list? The guy Sanders was supposed to replace, Chuba Hubbard. And Rashaad Penny only managed 11 carries as an Eagle last year. In other words, the most talented back in Carolina this year is rookie second-rounder Jonathon Brooks, except he’s recovering from a torn ACL. There are already reports out of Carolina that Brooks might not be ready for training camp. So we’ll have to keep an eye on his status throughout the preseason, because if Brooks is healthy, he has great potential, but if he’s not, this might be a backfield to avoid altogether.

Cincinnati Bengals

Zack Moss vs. Chase Brown

At first glance, you might expect the Bengals to deploy Zack Moss and Chase Brown as a 1-2 punch, with Moss assuming the lead ball carrier role and Brown the primary pass-catcher — in just 15 targets last year, Brown came within 41 yards of Moss’ career high in receiving yards. That depends on which version of Moss (793 yards) is the one we get next (he’s never had more than 481 in any other season). If Moss regresses and Brown can creep his way into the No. 1 job, a Joe Mixon-esque ceiling may not be in the cards, but it’s getting closer.

Los Angeles Chargers

Gus Edwards vs. JK Dobbins vs. Kimani Vidal

JK Dobbins (arguably) has the most raw talent, but he’s never shown the ability to stay on the field and is trying to come back from an achilles injury. Kimani Vidal is the youngest and freshest, but he’s a sixth-round rookie who comes in without much fanfare. Gus Edwards ran for 13 touchdowns last year, but he’s six years into his NFL career and has fewer than 810 yards on the ground and only has 30 career receptions. Right now, Edwards seems to have the edge on the job, but that seems like the highest option, and if Dobbins shows he’s healthy and/or Vidal can surprise as a sixth-round pick, they could move on from Edwards quickly.

Tennessee Titans

Tony Pollard vs. Tyjae Spears

Are the Titans getting the 2023 version of Tony Pollard or the 2022 version? Tyjae Spears is undoubtedly better than the Pollard the Cowboys had for most of 2023, but that Pollard was recovering from a nasty leg injury he suffered just a few months earlier in the playoffs. In the “Pollard should be back to normal” category, I present to you this, Pollard’s four-game rolling average of forced missed tackles per rush over the last two seasons:

Pollard was recovering from an injury early last season and struggled to break tackles. He got healthier as the year went on and beat tacklers more often. To me, that means he’ll be back to normal in 2024. But it’s worth keeping an eye on Pollard’s elusiveness in camp, because if he struggles to break tackles, Spears could get the better of him.

Tampa Bay Book Hunters

Rachaad White vs. Bucky Irving

As I mentioned in my Sleepers, Busts, and Bold Predictions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rachaad White ran for 3.6 yards per carry last year, the lowest average for a back with at least 250 PPR points in the past decade. Bucky Irving enters the league with 6.4 yards per carry for Oregon last year. White will still be the primary pass-catching back in Tampa, but if we see Irving get a lot of work in camp, we might have a 1A/1B situation.

Honorable Mention

These battles may not be that intense, but at least the reserve names have already been mentioned and therefore deserve a little comment.

Arizona Cardinals: James Conner vs. Trey Benson

This isn’t so much a fight as it is a handcuff situation. James Conner has the job unless/until he gets injured. But Benson could make things interesting.

Las Vegas Raiders: Zamir White vs. Alexander Mattison

Zamir White certainly has the best credentials to earn the starting job, but it’s a situation that looks a lot like the one Alexander Mattison burned out in a year ago, like the handcuffed starting guy who disappointed. And it was only a year ago that Mattison was being hyped up.

Cleveland Browns: D’Onta Foreman vs. Jerome Ford (vs. Nick Chubb?)

If Chubb were out this year, this would be a lot more interesting. But the threat of Chubb returning (early or late in the season) means these guys are better suited as DFS players or short-term roster fillers than long-term investments.

Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones vs. Ty Chandler

The Vikings jumped on Aaron Jones this offseason when the Packers departed. Jones is better than Chandler, but he also turns 30 in December and has missed multiple games in three of the last four years. Camp will show us whether Minnesota sees this as a starter/backup or a fancy committee.

Washington Commanders: Austin Ekeler vs. Brian Robinson Jr.

It’s hard to imagine a scenario where these two are both healthy and it’s not a situation where Brian Robinson Jr. is the ball carrier and Austin Ekeler is the pass-catching option. But we definitely want to see what Ekeler looks like in camp, as he struggled last year in Los Angeles.