Training camp and preseason are just like the points in Whose Line Is It Anyway: They don't matter.

However, just because August wins and losses don't officially count doesn't mean fantasy managers can't learn a thing or two along the way—particularly with regard to potential playing time. First-team preseason snap counts are the closest thing we'll get to an official depth chart before Week 1.

So what better way to get ready for the first full week of 2024 preseason action then by taking stock of fantasy-relevant position battles? What follows are 13 questions I'm paying particularly close attention to over the next few weeks in hopes of finding some clarity ahead of our fantasy drafts.

As always: It's a great day to be great.

Does Justin Fields have a real shot at the Steelers' QB1 job?

The Steelers haven't been coy about dubbing Russell Wilson. In fact, head coach Mike Tomlin literally told Fields up front that Wilson was the starter back in March.

And yet, it's been hard to ignore the constant drumbeat of positive vibes coming out of training camp while Fields has been leading the first-team offense with Wilson (calf) sidelined. Whether it's the throwing highlights, or ESPN's Dan Graziano straight-up predicting the rising fourth-year pro will start under center in Week 1: This seems far more like a legit competition than it did even one week ago.

It's tough to overly vouch for either QB when it comes to their passing ability in recent years; Fields (+0.012, 31st) and Wilson (+0.020, 29th) have both been below-average QBs in EPA per dropback since 2022. Still, it's impossible to deny that Fields offers a far higher ceiling in fantasy football land compared to the 35-year-old veteran thanks to that sweet, sweet rushing upside:

Fantasy points per game and position rank:

  • 2022: Fields (19.7, QB5), Wilson (15, QB18)
  • 2023: Fields (17.7, QB11), Wilson (17.1, QB13)

Overall, only Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow have averaged more fantasy points per game than Fields over the past two seasons. He'll be ranked inside the position's top 10 if/when called upon to start this season—we've seen far worse passers achieve similar heights in fantasy land before. Hell, OC Arthur Smith's last QB, Desmond Ridder, posted six top-12 finishes (!) last season despite, you know, sucking at football.

ESPN's Adam Schefter maintained that Russell Wilson has the pole position to start as recently as Monday, and Fields' leash doesn't figure to be overly long even if he manages to initially win the job. That said: There might not be a player with a more reasonable path to literally cutting their average draft position (ADP) in half between now and Week 1.

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Are there any other overly fantasy-relevant QB battles?

Kinda sorta. Four additional situations under center tentatively don't appear to be completely set at the moment (listed in no particular order):

 

  • Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell vs. Gardner Minshew: A battle between the league's bottom-two QBs in completion percentage over expected (CPOE) last season; this situation remains akin to the time Fogell decided his fake ID name should be between Muhammad or McLovin, although the skill-position talent here is admittedly solid.
  • Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett vs. Drake Maye: Brissett is a decent favorite here, although Maye carries more fantasy-friendly rushing upside than anyone else on this list. This offensive environment is hardly ideal; just realize there's a chance the 2024 NFL Draft's No. 3 overall pick is actually pretty damn good at football.
  • Broncos QB Bo Nix vs. Jarrett Stidham: Like in New England, it seems like a matter of when, not if, the offense is turned over to the team's shiny new first-round QB. Though Nix seems to have a more clear path to earning the job before Week 1. Also, like New England, Nix isn't exactly expected to put up immediate fireworks alongside anyone's idea of a mediocre supporting cast.
  • Vikings QB Sam Darnold vs. J.J. McCarthy: Minnesota seems more than comfortable to take its time with naming McCarthy the starter. Week 1 seems unlikely, but will head coach Kevin O'Connell really insist on sticking with Darnold if the Vikings are 1-4 entering their Week 6 bye? That sort of start is more than possible with dates against the Giants, 49ers, Texans, Packers, and Jets to start the season. Here's to hoping whoever wins the job can at least not overly screw up Justin Jefferson's fantasy upside.

Who will lead this new-look Cincy backfield?

The team's first unofficial depth chart dubbed offseason addition Zack Moss as the starter, although this time last year Bijan Robinson was unironically listed as the RB3 in Atlanta.

Actually, maybe that's not the best example considering how frustrated most of Bijan's fantasy managers wound up being with Arthur Smith's touch distribution. Either way: There's next to nothing to be gained from overanalyzing these unofficial depth charts; fantasy managers are much better off grinding first-team snap counts in the preseason.

So how will things shake out in Cincinnati? Explosive second-year RB Chase Brown has received all sorts of praise throughout training camp, but that sort of largely no-contact setting should bring out the best in the NFL's fastest RB from a season ago.

The real question is whether or not the Bengals consider Brown ready to work as a legit three-down RB. The 5-foot-10, 209-pound talent isn't exactly undersized, and his senior-year game log at Illinois reflects the reality that he's plenty familiar with handling a massive workload. Still, this was an offense that only asked Brown to pass block on eight total snaps in 2023—a far cry from Joe Mixon (71) and even Trayveon Williams (27).

Fantasy fiends and beat reporters alike have wondered aloud if ex-Bengal—current Broncos cut candidate—Samaje Perine could be a September signing to help shore up this potential hole. It'd behoove Brown to make the most out of his pass-blocking opportunities over the next few weeks, otherwise fantasy investors might be stuck looking at an expensive version of Jaleel McLaughlin or MarShawn Lloyd: An explosive pass-catching RB sadly stuck in a three-back committee due to the lack of trust in them handling a true every-down role.

Meanwhile, Moss stands to benefit mightily from Brown potentially NOT earning a featured role. This is the same offense that fed Joe Mixon 270-plus touches in five of the last six years, after all. Whoever winds up leading the backfield will immediately be in fantasy's weekly RB2 conversation, while managers shouldn't bet against this becoming one of the relatively rare situations to produce *two* top-24 PPR RBs in the same season (an average of 1.9 teams per year have achieved this over the past decade).

Which Cowboys RB should we be drafting?

Perhaps no backfield is less clear than whatever the hell is going on in Dallas at the moment. Of course, it's worth attempting to figure out because this has consistently been one of the league's very best scoring units whenever Dak Prescott has been healthy enough to suit up:

Cowboys points per game 2019-23

  • 2019: 27.1 (No. 6)
  • 2020 pre-Dak injury: 32.6 (No. 2)
  • 2021: 31.2 (No. 1)
  • 2022 post-Dak injury: 32.5 (No. 1)
  • 2023: 29.9 (No. 1)

The leader in the clubhouse seems to be old friend Ezekiel Elliott. Reminder: Zeke averaged just 3.8 yards per carry during his last season in Dallas while contributing essentially nothing to the passing game … and still finished as the RB22 in PPR points per game on the back of 12 TDs—nine of which came from inside the five-yard line.

Still, Zeke's one-year, $3 million deal hardly carries the same sort of "we need to play this guy" pull as his previous $90 million contract. This reality gives particular life to expected change-of-pace option Rico Dowdle, who has just 113 career touches to his name, but flashed in 2023—particularly in the passing game, where he posted top-10 marks at the position in yards per reception (8.5) and yards per route run (1.35).

Fantasy managers could live with this two-headed committee, but things get quite complicated when three-to-four RBs maintain consistent involvement—something that appears to be on the table here if the hype on journeyman Royce Freeman and pint-sized second-year RB/WR (?) Deuce Vaughn is to be believed.

Ultimately, Dowdle looks a lot like the best bang for your buck option in fantasy land at the moment—particularly with both Freeman (groin) and Vaughn (hamstring) presently banged up. Even failure to win an immediate big-time role should still leave Dowdle as one of fantasy's better handcuff options ahead of 2024. Zeke isn't necessarily a full fade; just realize Dowdle is virtually free in ESPN and Sleeper drafts at the moment.

What handcuff situations look especially murky ahead of Week 1?

Not every fantasy football handcuff is created equal. It's not a given a team's No. 2 RB will assume the same role as the offense's starter during their absence.

These nine situations look especially unclear at the moment, and it'd certainly be a lot cooler if preseason usage and performances add some clarity to the situations:

Eagles RB Will Shipley vs. Kenneth Gainwell: Both have been working with the first-team offense throughout camp, but maybe the answer is just "no" considering this hasn't exactly been the world's most fantasy-friendly role anyway?

Giants RB Tyrone Tracy vs. Eric Gray: At least one beat reporter believes Tracy is the next-man-up behind Devin Singletary at the moment. Still, it remains to be seen if the Giants view the converted-WR as a legit three-down option at the position, or if a more one-dimensional pass-game role is simply what they envision for the rookie in 2024.

Bills RB Ray Davis vs. Ty Johnson: Davis has received consistent praise in training camp and has benefited from Johnson missing time with a hamstring injury. Nobody is debating James Cook's status as the starter, but Davis has the sort of size (5-foot-8, 211 pounds) and pass-down chops to emerge as one of fantasy's better cheap handcuffs should he manage to win the No. 2 job outright.

Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs. Deneric Prince: The former back received some recent praise from HC Andy Reid regarding his third-down ability, while the latter has consistently rotated in first behind Isiah Pacheco at practice. Some sort of split situation seems likely should Pacheco miss time, but Jerick McKinnon has proved over the years that this is an important backup job to monitor.

Broncos RB Jaleel McLaughlin vs. Audric Estime vs. Samaje Perine: Javonte Williams seems locked in as the starter, but it remains to be seen what exactly the plan is here overall. Subtracting Perine, the group's 2023 receiving leader, from the equation would certainly help Jaleel, although Estime could factor heavily into the early-down equation regardless of which other backs are healthy. We're forced to care more than usual about the RBs inside a likely #bad offense due to the Broncos incredibly ranking fourth in expected RB PPR points per game last season.

Packers RB A.J. Dillon vs. MarShawn Lloyd: First-team family night snap counts (lol, but seriously) featured Dillon (21 snaps) working well ahead of Lloyd (5), with Josh Jacobs (groin) sidelined. Head coach Matt LaFleur has made a habit of keeping multiple RBs involved over the years; just realize Lloyd will have a tough time reaching much of a ceiling in fantasy land should he remain the distant RB3 in this equation.

Bears RB Khalil Herbert vs. Roschon Johnson: The two backs rotated throughout the first half during the Hall Of Fame Game, indicating this competition is fairly wide open behind presumed starter/bellcow RB D'Andre Swift. Both are essentially free in fantasy drafts for the time being, and the eventual leader would certainly be a sought-after late-round pick as a handcuff to the not-exactly-bulletproof Swift.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell vs. Jordan Mason: This has been Mitchell's job over the past few years, but recent comments from HC Kyle Shanahan seemed to indicate the RB2 role isn't exactly a closed case at the moment. Don't expect either to assume Christian McCaffrey's full workload should the fantasy gawd miss any time, although Mitchell has given us roughly an entire season's worth of evidence that he's capable of producing upside RB2 production whenever given a starting job.

Cardinals RB Trey Benson vs. Emari Demarcado: The rookie third-round pick was assumed to be the clear-cut backup behind James Conner all offseason, although head coach Jonathan Gannon doesn't sound like he got that memo. Realistically, Benson still profiles as the lead early-down handcuff to Conner, but failure to win the pass-down role could be the difference between him being a good or GREAT bench stash.

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Are we positive these guys are really their team's undisputed No. 2 RB?

Unlike our previous section: I'm more confident in the following backs possessing their team's No. 2 RB job at the moment. That said, it'll be a lot easier to boost them up the ranks with some verifiable on-field evidence over the next few weeks:

Colts RB Trey Sermon: Viewed as the "clear backup" behind Jonathan Taylor.

Texans RB Dameon Pierce: Rested alongside Joe Mixon (quad) during the Hall of Fame Game.

Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby: Receiving plenty of offseason hype (again) and looks like the clear No. 2 early-down option in this Jacksonville RB room.

Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving: Being dubbed the RB2 ahead of guys like Chase Edmonds and Sean Tucker.

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard: Was the Panthers' best RB and yanked the starting job from Miles Sanders last year, but are we positive the new coaching staff still views things this way?

Jets RB Braelon Allen: The team's (again, largely meaningless) unofficial depth chart dubs Allen as the next-man-up behind Breece Hall, which does match the drumbeat of positive vibes out of training camp.

Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins: Allegedly splitting first-team work with Gus Edwards, although it remains to be seen how Dobbins looks post-Achilles, and his overall job security remains meh considering the ex-Raven signed for just $50,000 guaranteed.

Will Keon Coleman get the opportunity to start from Day One?

Training camp observations as well as connecting the dots seem to point toward Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir as locked-in starters, but it remains to be seen if second-round WR Keon Coleman will immediately work ahead of guys like Mack Hollins, Chase Claypool, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Fair play: I felt a bit ridiculous typing out that last sentence. And yet, offseason coach speak sure made it sound like the Bills are comfortable bringing the rookie along slowly. It'd be pretty surprising to not see Coleman in the starting lineup sooner rather than later; he's by most accounts flashed throughout training camp. Still, failure to earn a full-time job in two-WR sets could limit the fantasy upside at hand inside of an offense expected to (again) lean plenty on its two TEs.

ADP around the industry has favored Coleman over Samuel and Shakir all offseason long. It's quite possible that the answer to which Bills WR to draft is simply, "yes"; each is plenty affordable with triple-digit overall ADPs on more re-draft sites than not. Ultimately, I've personally favored Samuel at cost: The soon-to-be 28-year-old jack-of-all-trades is plenty familiar with OC Joe Brady's offense and looks like a good candidate to flirt with double-digit combined carries and targets per game from Week 1 on.

Which Patriots WR will rise to the top of the depth chart?

Rookie Ja'Lynn Polk currently looks like the favorite alongside incumbent starter DeMario Douglas. After that things get a bit murky, as $33-million man Kendrick Bourne (ACL) remains sidelined, leaving exciting fourth-round rookie Javon Baker to battle it out with veterans like K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

While this passing game doesn't figure to remind anyone of the 2018 Chiefs, there's not a single WR here with an ADP inside the top 150 on traditional re-draft providers. Polk looks like the best candidate to assume the top job—he and Pop are leading the way in Fantasy Life Projections and deserve late-round consideration on rosters (sadly) still in search of WR help late in drafts. I've also seen worse LATE-round darts than Baker, who has consistently earned positive reviews out of training camp.

Is Dontayvion Wicks really the odd man out in Green Bay?

He sure was during the team's Family Night, which I understand is a ridiculous thing to overly value, but hey, this is fantasy football in August, so yeah:

Packers WR Family Night snap rates

Further complicating matters for Wicks truthers is the reality that this comes pretty close to matching what we saw during Weeks 5-13 last season, which featured the healthiest stretch of the year from Watson:

Packers WRs in Weeks 5-13

  • Doubs: 83% routes, 15% targets, 9.6 PPR points per game
  • Watson: 82% routes, 19% targets, 11.4 PPR points per game
  • Reed: 63% routes, 15% targets, 11.4 PPR points per game
  • Wicks: 34% routes, 10% targets, 6.6 PPR points per game

 

Note that Melton didn't receive his first career target until Week 15, and Malik Heath also got more involved down the stretch as well. Doubs was the only Packers WR to run a route on at least 60% of the offense's dropbacks in both playoff games, as Matt LaFleur was content to largely rotate his treasure chest of young talents.

I've drafted Watson the most out of the group, but it's hard to overly bicker with any of the top-three options' current ADPs should this usage stick. Wicks would certainly be on the cover of waiver-wire articles around the industry should any of the big-three parties miss time; just realize it's impossible for players to score fantasy points while on the sideline in the year 2024.

Who will be the No. 3 WR in these offenses?

None of these situations are overly important unless you're a true degen in the business of joining DEEP drafts. But as a proud manager in a legit 32-team fantasy league, let's dig in.

Denver Broncos: Early reports appear to favor Josh Reynolds alongside Marvin Mims and incumbent No. 1 WR Courtland Sutton.

Los Angeles Chargers: Could Quentin Johnston really be the odd man out behind Ladd McConkey, Josh Palmer, and D.J. Chark? It seems that way at the moment

Miami Dolphins: Rookie Malik Washington is someone to watch as long as Odell Beckham Jr. remains on the PUP list.

New York Jets: Rookie Malachi Corley has received mixed reviews this training camp and started August behind Xaiver Gipson.

Baltimore Ravens: This is probably Nelson Agholor's job as much as people want to make rookie Devontez Walker a thing. 

Cleveland Browns: Whoever wins the job between Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman will flank Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy inside a passing game that theoretically has a high ceiling.

Pittsburgh Steelers: This one even involves the WR2 battle; the likes of Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson (ankle) are the frontrunners to work next to George Pickens inside this expected run-first offense.

Cincinnati Bengals: Believed to be between Andrei Iosivas and third-round rookie Jermaine Burton, the team's unofficial depth chart listed the WR3 as … Trenton Irwin.

Indianapolis Colts: Alec Pierce looks to still have the starting job ahead of second-round rookie Adonai Mitchell; either way, both look to be well behind Michael Pittman and Josh Downs, who suffered a high-ankle sprain and is expected to be sidelined 4-6 weeks.

Dallas Cowboys: Jalen Tolbert is winning the battle of Jalens for the moment, and this role gets more and more intriguing the longer CeeDee Lamb's holdout lasts.

Philadelphia Eagles: Rookie Johnny Wilson is getting plenty of first-team reps with early frontrunner Parris Campbell sidelined.

New York Giants: It seems like Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson are the top-two dudes here, leaving Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt likely competing for the final starting spot.

Washington Commanders: Third-rounder Luke McCaffrey should be the guy, although veteran progress stoppers like Dyami Brown and Jamison Crowder could complicate things.

Detroit Lions: Something named Daurice Fountain reportedly might just be the frontrunner ahead of Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green, and Kalif Raymond.

Minnesota Vikings: Jalen Nailor is currently viewed as the favorite ahead of guys like Brandon Powell and Trent Sherfield.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rookie Jalen McMillan joins LMC as the cheapest Day 2 WRs in fantasy land, but it remains to be seen if he'll immediately unseat Trey Palmer in three-WR sets.

Atlanta Falcons: Believed to be Rondale Moore's job all offseason, but apparently Ray-Ray McCloud is the current starting slot. F*cking Ray-Ray McCloud. Unbelievable. Sorry, I drafted far too much Rondale in Round 18 this summer. Further complicating things, Rondale was carted off the field after an Aug. 7 practice with what is believed to be a serious leg injury.

San Francisco 49ers: Blocking superstar/one-time Super Bowl MVP contender Jauan Jennings is currently ahead of first-round rookie Ricky Pearsall.

Are the Giants about to start a rookie TE?

Maybe! Fourth-round rookie Theo Johnson is apparently the frontrunner at the moment per The Athletic's Dan Duggan. While the NFL called 106 players' names before Johnson's last April, it's hard to not be at least a little bit intrigued by Johnson's 9.93 Relative Athletic Score (RAS)—the ninth-best mark among 1,199 players at the position since 1987.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler summarized his No. 3 TE with the following statement:

"Overall, Johnson has inconsistent college tape and production, but he has A-plus measurements and smooth athletic tools that could allow him to continue developing and become a better pro than college player. Although he is a work in progress, he is a worthy long-term investment for an NFL team."

While the heavy majority of production in this passing game is expected to flow through Malik Nabers, things are murky enough elsewhere to entertain the idea of Johnson serving as a top-three pass-catcher— something that could land him at the top of every waiver-wire TE section as early as Week 2. 

Just how even will these TE committees wind up being?

TEs have a hard enough time scoring bunches of fantasy points with a full-time starting job, let alone when forced to split snaps with someone else.

The following situations should have a clear leader (listed first below) that in certain cases will be heavily relied upon in fantasy land. Just realize greedy fantasy managers would prefer the following splits be as one-sided as possible in order to optimize the upside at hand:

Is Taysom Hill going to be a thing again?

The Saints' official roster lists Taysom Hill as a QB. Many fantasy sites do as well. This makes sense: 35% of his snaps over the past two seasons have come as a QB, while just 17% have come from a traditional inline TE alignment. If anything, Hill's 40% snap rate out of the slot and out wide would indicate a "WR" designation could be in play. Even RB makes some sense considering Hill has had far more rush attempts (177) than targets (53) over the past two years.

Hill isn't good enough to start at any position full time, and doesn't put up enough production to matter in fantasy land at QB, RB, or WR. And yet, fantasy sites still list the 33-year-old veteran as a TE because … there really isn't a good reason … and the position is shallow enough in fantasy land to make him matter in a major way.

In 2022, Hill's average of 9.1 PPR points per game was good for 13th-place standing among all TEs. He managed 8.97 PPR points per game in 2023—15th among all TEs. Not exactly world-beating numbers here, but his multi-TD boom performances have helped single-handedly win weeks.

Overall, Hill's three performances with 20-plus PPR points per game over the past two seasons are tied for the eighth most at the position behind only Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, Trey McBride, T.J. Hockenson, Cole Kmet, and Evan Engram. Things bend even stronger to Hill's favor in non-PPR leagues where his rushing prowess really stands out.

Juwan Johnson (foot) has been sidelined for a bit, leaving Hill with all the chances in the world to seize more of a full-time job than usual. Throw in the potential for more annoying goal-line usage, and you have the recipe for a fairly pristine late-round TE dart—even if the man barely plays the position to begin with.

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