Fantasy football managers are always trying to find good draft values and sleepers out of uncertain situations. Training camp battles line up with that thinking, as position competitions can open the door for rising stars.
With that in mind, here's looking at the offensive backfields to watch most across the league to help make the best possible mid-to-late round fantasy draft decisions:
MORE: 2024 fantasy rookie rankings
Fantasy football: 12 running back training camp battles to watch
Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott vs. Rico Dowdle. Zeke is back in Dallas after his one-year sabbatical in New England as a top backup to Rhamondre Stevenson. The Cowboys dawdled in replacing free-agent departure Tony Pollard in free agency and the draft, leaving them with Dowdle getting familiar company.
Elliott is the newcomer to the offense, but he has the trust edge with the supporting personnel, from Dak Prescott to the key blockers. Elliott does have a lot of mileage at 29, so the Cowboys won't be throwing it back to his workhorse days. Instead, they'll be setting up a situational committee on a pass-happy attack. Dowdle will try to push more into Elliott's snaps and touches in camp, while well-traveled Royce Freeman will fight to be No. 3. Elliott can push higher than an RB3 for fantasy owners, while Dowdle is an RB4 for now.
Tennessee Titans
Tony Pollard vs. Tyjae Spears. The natures of offensive-minded coach Brian Callahan (Bengals) and coordinator Nick Holz (Jaguars) should continue to be giving one back 18-plus touches, which also matches the volume of Pollard from the Cowboys last season. What hurts Spears is the fact Pollard is an explosive and capable receiver at times and the better red-zone rushing option.
Pollard and Spears are neck-in-neck in fantasy drafts as RB3s in the top 36, but that's undervaluing how Pollard can separate the fact Spears' sophomore role is set to remain a dynamic change-of-pace No. 2.
Washington Commanders
Austin Ekeler vs. Brian Robinson Jr. Between Curtis Samuel (91) and Antonio Gibson (59), there are 150 short-area targets vacated from 2023. Robinson caught 36 balls on 43 targets last season. There might be fewer such throws in Kliff Kingsbury's offense when also considering Jayden Daniels' decisions to run often can cut into that outlet and dump-off dependence.
Ekeler is helped by his former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn overseeing the backs and the running game, but the 29-year-old did slow down a bit in his final L.A. year. Robinson is the better and younger (25) all-around back at the moment, so he will battle for some separation in the key touches with his red-zone juice and chunk-run skills. Ekeler is going a little behind Robinson in the top 36, but the latter should emerge as the preferred value for floor and ceiling.
New York Giants
Devin Singletary vs. Eric Gray vs. Tyrone Tracy Jr. Singletary has enough history with Brian Daboll from Buffalo to think the free-agent addition will be the biggest piece in trying to compensate for the immense scrimmage workload and production of Saquon Barkley. Singletary, with some durability concerns, is capped at around 15 touches per game compared to Barkley's 20-plus.
Singletary is the clear veteran leader of this backfield with that volume and should be going higher than an RB3, but there's room for another key role coming in the receiving game, which isn't a strength of Singletary. Gray has versatility, but he underwhelmed as a rookie, giving this year's drafted rookie Tracy, a good chance of displacing him as an active, situational No. 2. As a converted wide receiver, Tracy could end up having some real value beyond a high-upside young handcuff in PPR-leaning leagues.
Cleveland Browns
Jerome Ford vs. D'Onta Foreman. Ford was the RB26 in average half-point PPR scoring filling in for Nick Chubb after the latter suffered a major knee injury that can keep him from suiting up in the early part of this regular season. Foreman has specialized in being a seasoned supersub for the Titans, Panthers, and Bears the past three seasons, coming off RB37 average scoring.
Foreman, going as an RB5, can't be ignored then on his fourth team in four years, with Ford going only a little ahead of him as an RB4. Chubb is going just ahead of both as a high-ceiling stash, and he could end up accelerating his availability. But in terms of top backup status, don't sleep on Foreman doing it again for a stretch.
Carolina Panthers
Chuba Hubbard vs. Jonathon Brooks vs. Miles Sanders vs. Rashaad Penny. The rookie Brooks has the most fantasy draft appeal — and it shows with his status as an RB3 despite his recovery from a major knee injury at Texas. Before a mild dropoff to Hubbard, there's a steep fall to Sanders and then again to Penny.
Dave Canales made Penny a 20-touch back calling Buccaneers plays last season, and he and OC Brad Idzik will be thinking receiver-forward at the position for Bryce Young. Hubbard has been a limited power back with shaky blocking and has been nondescript with his pass-catching. Brooks was a complete, explosive back at Texas while succeeding Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson. Everything points to Brooks, when healthy, emerging from this battle as the preferred fantasy pick as a back-end RB2.
Los Angeles Chargers
Gus Edwards vs. JK Dobbins vs. Kimani Vidal. Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman lifted the former Ravens backfield under John Harbaugh with the 1-2 punch of Edwards and Dobbins. But Edwards is a limited power back, and both he and the juicier Dobbins have a recent history of key knee woes. Despite the Chargers about to be much run-heavier with Roman, Edwards is going as a bottom RB3 and Dobbins as an RB5 out of the top 50. Vidal is not far behind Dobbins as an RB5.
This will be another Romanesque committee with the traditional early- vs. late-down options. Vidal has a big chance here with his pass-catching and burst, given Edwards' limitations as a lead and Dobbins' inability to stay on the field. The first key for Vidal is further separating as the No. 3 ahead of Isaiah Spiller, then getting key chances to impress behind Dobbins.
Denver Broncos
Javonte Williams vs. Jaleel McLaughlin. Williams will get another shot at being the guy after averaging 17 touches per game last season for Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi. McLaughlin might see a little more change-of-pace work, but he also isn't reliable at 5-9, 187 pounds. Samaje Perine is back in the swing role behind both.
The one to watch is rookie Audric Estime, a big chunk runner, but he's dealing with a knee injury going into camp. Given the state of the depth chart, Javonte Williams feels like more of a back-end RB2.
Cincinnati Bengals
Zack Moss vs. Chase Brown. Even though Moss was picked up as a direct replacement for Joe Mixon, he's going between RB25-30. Brown, the second-year change-of-pace, is going before RB40. Mixon had 309 touches in his final season in Cincinnati.
Moss, coming off a supersub stint for the Colts' Jonathan Taylor, should be going much higher than Brown as an RB2 in the top 20. Brown can't be overexposed, much like McLaughlin. Watch Moss to look more feature-like in camp.
Green Bay Packers
MarShawn Lloyd vs. AJ Dillon. Lloyd, a promising rookie who arguably was the most skilled prospect in the class, has the inside track to emerge as the top backup for newcomer Josh Jacobs, who has had his share of injury issues. Dillon was re-signed on the cheap but also late in the offseason. The hype and potential say Lloyd can confirm he's a much-coveted handcuff as an RB5.
Miami Dolphins
Raheem Mostert vs. De'Von Achane vs. Jaylen Wright. This is less of a battle but rather something to watch for roles and touch distribution. Mostert was the scoring machine last season, but Achane was the big-play and big-game man as a rookie. Mostert has a knee injury history and now is 32 coming off a career-high spike in his usage volume.
All this points to Achane being a high-ceiling RB1, with Mostert's expected touchdown regression from 21 pushing him down to a top RB3. Wright will first look to be the No. 3 over Jeff Wilson Jr. and a crowd. The rookie is firm on the radar given Mostert's durability past and Achane also getting hurt last season.
Philadelphia Eagles
Kenneth Gainwell vs. Will Shipley. Barkley was signed away from the Giants to be a 20-touch lead to give them some consistent overall pop to better support the blocking and Jalen Hurts, but he also carries consistent durability concerns. The veteran holdover Gainwell looks like the best backup bet as an RB6, but this also is a new offense under Kellen Moore. Watch for the Clemson product to flash well in camp to try to get a bigger rookie role.
