This article highlights training camp job battles important for 2026 fantasy football drafts.
Jadarian Price vs. Zach Charbonnet (knee) vs. George Holani vs. Emanuel Wilson, RB, Seahawks
Jadarian Price (lower body) returned to practice on a limited basis Tuesday after missing practice Friday. Although Price is a first-round pick and George Holani is merely a former seventh-round pick, the initial Seahawks depth chart listed Holani as the RB1 while Zach Charbonnet continues to recover from the ACL tear he suffered in the divisional playoffs against San Francisco.
The good news for Price is he was listed as the RB2 behind Holani, leaving Price formally ahead of free-agent power back pickup Emanuel Wilson at RB3.
When Charbonnet returns he will presumably take one of the top two running back spots on the depth chart, if not the RB1 role. What's less clear is whether Price would remain the RB2 at that point or get bumped down to RB3 with Charbonnet and Holani ahead.
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Rashod Bateman vs. Ja'Kobi Lane vs. Elijah Sarratt vs. Devontez Walker, WR, Ravens
As of Wednesday, Rashod Bateman has missed two practices for undisclosed reasons, which has given more room yet for the ascending rookie third-round pick Ja'Kobi Lane to push for the WR2 role behind Zay Flowers.
Bateman is the incumbent and two years removed from a productive season, but at 6-foot-4 Lane offers an above-the-rim presence that Bateman can't imitate. Elijah Sarratt and Devontez Walker remain in the picture, too, though with Sarratt expected to work more from the slot and Walker likely a deep-route specialist on the boundary.
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Emari Demercado vs. Emmett Johnson, RB, Chiefs
The initial "unofficial" Chiefs depth chart listed Emari Demercado as the RB2 behind starter Kenneth Walker, with rookie fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson listed as the RB3. Somewhat curiously, 2025 seventh-round pick Brashard Smith was listed with undrafted rookie Jaydn Ott at RB4.
Demercado was generally expected to begin the year as the RB2 over Johnson, because Demercado is proven as an NFL pass blocker and that might be the primary role available at running back after Walker gets his stabs at the pie. This is not to say Demercado would be Kansas City's second-best running back for from scrimmage functions, however.
Johnson is likely a better receiver than Demercado and Walker both, and in general when the Chiefs need yardage it would make sense if they looked to Johnson rather than Demercado. It's arguably reassuring for both Demercado and Johnson that Smith otherwise appears to be on the roster fringe as a pass-catching specialist.
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Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders, QB Browns
ESPN/NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that Deshaun Watson seems to have the "leg up" in the competition between Watson and Shedeur Sanders, though the Browns have yet to announce a starter and with no clear timeline to do so.
Perhaps Watson is the favorite to start Week 1, but by most accounts his training camp showings have been mixed at best, and it's likely a bad sign for Watson if he can't put away an unimpressive second-year quarterback like Sanders. If Watson can't clearly win this job then it seems like the Houston version of Watson will remain a distant memory.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Michael Penix (knee), QB, Falcons
Coach Kevin Stefanski declined to name a starting quarterback between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix (knee) as of Wednesday, even with Tagovailoa starting Atlanta's first preseason game. Penix has still not been cleared for contact following his Week 11 ACL tear, and Stefanski's lack of commitment to Tagovailoa raises the possibility that Tagovailoa is merely a starter by default until Penix is back to full strength.
Penix is far from a proven starter and his injury could present a season-long complication if the knee gives him any trouble upon return. That said, Tagovailoa finished last year with 20 passing touchdowns to 15 interceptions at just 6.9 yards per attempt. Quarterbacks who produce like that either find a way to improve or find their way to the bench in due time.
Andrei Iosivas vs. Colbie Young, WR, Bengals
Athletic beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. said it is "extremely hard to see [Colbie Young] topping [Andrei Iosivas]" when it comes to "ability to block in the run game, understand the system and find separation when given an opportunity." According to Dehner, it's those details that will determine playing time between Iosivas and Young as opposed to pass-catching ability.
It seems like a bold assumption that the fourth-round rookie Young wouldn't earn more playing time if outproducing Iosivas as a pass catcher, where Iosivas has been a major drain from scrimmage the last two years.
Moreover, if Dehner is correct that separation is a key detail here then it can't possibly bode well for Iosivas, whose numbers in target rate and yards per route run rank near the bottom among 800-snap wide receivers. Iosivas does not separate, and at the catch point he struggles with drops.
Seth McGowan vs. DJ Giddens (hamstring), RB, Colts
The reporter consensus around Indianapolis is that rookie seventh-round pick Seth McGowan has the early, slight lead in the race to be the RB2 behind Jonathan Taylor. Although it's unclear whether the hamstring injury to DJ Giddens is part or primary reason for McGowan's seeming ascent, most of the reports on McGowan are positive as opposed to indifferently suggesting him as a by-default RB2.
Giddens has been out since Sunday with the injury, and played only 69 snaps as a rookie fifth-round pick. Giddens has no meaningful veteran advantage and might not be able to catch McGowan if the hamstring injury persists.
