NFL Training Camp is upon us, and with that, positional battles will ensue! Fantasy Football managers will begin to get a look at how depth charts will shake out and how draft boards will shape up.
Let’s take a look at three position groups that seem to be in flux and that may just reveal fantasy gold.
(Average Draft Position [ADP] courtesy of ESPN)
NFL Training Camp Battles To Watch (2024 Fantasy Football)
Denver Broncos Running Backs
The discourse on assumed lead back Javonte Williams right now is fascinating. In 2022, Williams looked primed to take over as the lead back in Denver before tearing his ACL. In 2023, Sean Payton became the head coach as Williams worked his way back from injury.
On July 20, Troy Renck of the Denver Post said in an article, “The room sets up as (Audric) Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin and the music humming with one chair remaining for Williams and (Samaje) Perine.” This sent folks into a frenzy, speculating that Williams could be a training camp cut.
Williams saw more than 250 opportunities last season between rushing attempts and receptions while totaling just over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and finding the endzone five times. This is just his production coming off of a torn ACL. Payton, in a recent media scrum, noted that Williams had cut notable weight and was looking sharp in practice. It’s possible that drafters are quick to forget the pedigree that he carried into the league after splitting time with Melvin Gordon in his rookie year before getting injured early into his sophomore season.
I would be shocked if the Broncos as an organization elect to keep the older back (Perine). He’s making more money and saw less opportunity last season as opposed to a now-healthy Williams. Should he be cut, that’s likely more of an indictment that he hasn’t progressed the way the team has hoped from the injury.
For now, I’m scooping up the value on him in fantasy as he slots in at pick 105 overall, behind Austin Ekeler, Tony Pollard, Nick Chubb and Zack Moss.
Jacksonville Jaguars Receivers
The Jaguars enter the 2024 season with Trevor Lawrence established as the franchise quarterback upon receiving a massive five-year, $275-million extension. With that, the Jaguars said goodbye to wideouts Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones and welcomed first-round draft selection Brian Thomas Jr. and veteran Gabriel Davis. Meanwhile. Christian Kirk remains the stalwart of this receiver room.
The question for fantasy football managers seems to be: “Who will be the alpha of this Jaguars’ offense?”
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Kirk had an injury-plagued season in 2023, resulting in only 12 appearances. In that 12th game, the 27-year-old played only 1.4% of snaps. Inside of those 12 games, Kirk was a top-24-or-better fantasy wide receiver just four times. In the year prior, he was WR24 or better in 11 of his 17 games played. With Ridley entering the fray in 2023, the former Texas A&M Aggie seemed to struggle to get the same type of high-value targets that made him a draft-day value in 2022. Kirk could see more snaps in the slot for the upcoming campaign, especially in three-wide receiver sets, giving him an opportunity to restore some Points Per Reception (PPR) upside.
Kirk will now work with Davis, who the Jaguars gave a three-year, $39-million deal on the back of a season where he had 45 catches for 746 yards with one of the league’s most dynamic QBs. Davis finished as the PPR WR50. The contract suggests Davis will be on the field a lot, though I don’t think I’m investing in Davis outside of best ball drafts where I don’t need to guess on which week Davis will boom or bust.
Rounding out this starting reviews corps is arguably the most athletic pass-catcher with tremendous fantasy football upside on the Jaguars’ roster, Thomas Jr. Ridley leaves behind 136 targets (including 24 in the endzone alone). Jones vacates another 64 targets. While obviously not all of those targets will go the LSU product’s way, I do believe at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, Thomas profiles as the most likely candidate to take on the Ridley role from last season. Though managers may have been left with a sour taste on Ridley last season, Thomas’s current ADP of pick 130 overall bakes in the risk of a slower start should he need time to work his way into two-receiver sets.
The Jaguars were probably a collective 5-foot-on missed touchdown opportunity in 2023 from fantasy managers feeling quite different about their outlook for 2024. Thomas Jr. and Kirk look like draft day values as things stand.
Green Bay Packers Running Backs
For what felt like a nanosecond, Packers fans thought they were entering the 2024 season with both Aaron Jones and Josh Jacobs. As I write this, I’m thankful I’m not attempting to project that backfield. Instead, Jones was released and found a new home with the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings. Jacobs, who led the league in rushing in 2022, saw a downturn in his final season as a Raider. His 2023 crusade was marred by injury and a Raiders team with turmoil both on the field and the sideline.
Jacobs was ultimately joined by third-round rookie selection MarShawn Lloyd and veteran AJ Dillon. The former Boston College Eagle re-signed with the team after not finding a new home upon testing the free agent waters. In 2021, Dillion led the Packers backfield with 187 carries to Aaron Jones’ 171, albeit Jones played in two fewer games. The year following, Jones led the backfield with 213 rush attempts to Dillon’s 186. In 2023, I’ll throw the results out, as Jones was hampered most of the season. All of this to say, coach Matt LaFleur has a past of utilizing more than one back in his offense.
With Dillion failing to capitalize on his opportunity last season and the Packers spending a day-two selection on Lloyd, the question seems less about who the backup will be and rather just how much of the opportunity Lloyd will take from Jacobs. The 26-year-old is currently going as the 39th player off the board, while Lloyd settles at pick 161. The Packers’ backfield has proven to be productive and could well reveal a candidate for zero RB builds.
Thanks for reading “NFL Training Camp Battles To Watch.” Find me on Twitter @ThatMattKelley for more fantasy fantasy football and entertainment content!
*Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing – USA TODAY Sports*