Job Battles: Depth Chart Breakdowns

This article will try to do a quick roundup on the most important positional battles for fantasy football this year, taking into account the early training camp reports to figure out where playing time is up for grabs and who's in best position to claim it. There will be weekly updates on this, though the upcoming ones won't need as many words.

The article groups the blurbs by position (QB-RB-WR-TE) and sorts alphabetically by team location within the group.

QUARTERBACKS

Baker Mayfield vs Sam Darnold, QB, CAR

Mayfield is the presumptive favorite given the depths of Darnold's previous failures, and Mayfield will likely remain the favorite barring a total meltdown in training camp. With that said, the Panthers are splitting first-team reps between Mayfield and Darnold in the meantime, and they haven't offered a formal position on either player. Coach Matt Rhule said he wouldn't make any decisions about the team's quarterback situation until after their second preseason game August 19. One safe assumption is that rookie fourth-round pick Matt Corral is not a factor in the competition for either of the top two depth chart spots at quarterback. Corral is competing with P.J. Walker for the QB3 spot.

Mitch Trubisky vs Mason Rudolph vs Kenny Pickett, QB, PIT

This sounds like it's going poorly for everyone. Trubisky is first in line, before Rudolph, but somewhat predictably Trubisky is struggling as a passer. As much as Trubisky has useful running ability that Rudolph lacks, Rudolph could get a shot if the Steelers conclude Trubisky is an unacceptable liability as a passer. If Trubisky and Rudolph are bad enough then the Steelers might have to turn to Pickett in desperation, but if Pickett can't outplay them in the meantime them that scenario sounds about as frightening as any other for the Steelers offense. Rudolph would probably be the best one for the fantasy prospects of the Steelers pass catchers, if only because he would throw more and run fewer times than Trubisky or Pickett.

Geno Smith vs Drew Lock, QB, SEA

Smith has experience with Pete Carroll and the Seattle system, not to mention more experience generally, so he begins this competition as the incumbent, for whatever that's worth. Lock being more toolsy of the two theoretically grants him more upside, so if he can't catch Smith it would probably have to do with Seattle seeking reliability more than big-play ability. This is designed to be a run-heavy offense either way, so a quarterback has to avoid mistakes for the theory to work, whatever chance it might have. Early on in camp it has seems that Smith has maybe a slight lead, but Lock is keeping pace and making good showings of his own to keep the conversation going. With that said, as of Sunday Smith was taking the reps with the first-team offense while Lock worked with the second team.

RUNNING BACKS

Eno Benjamin vs Darrel Williams, RB, ARI

James Conner is of course the unchallenged starter in Arizona so the question of who plays the most aside from him depends on the nature of Arizona's remaining tasks. In prior years nearly all remaining tasks were handled by Chase Edmonds. If the tasks that remain mostly resemble those previously handled by Edmonds, then stylistically it's Benjamin who most conventionally projects for those tasks rather than Williams. With that said, the Cardinals all but gave Williams a roster spot when they gave him a fully-guaranteed one-year deal, even if it was the veteran minimum.

The problem for Williams is that, while he has good hands and is reliable as a passing down blocker, he has no ability from scrimmage and in practice is mostly just a fullback. Edmonds' tasks were largely oriented toward passing down functions, so Williams is a candidate for the work in that sense, but Edmonds is a short, shifty back who excels at juking squared-up defenders. When Williams is squared up the play is over, whereas Benjamin at least has some elusiveness to work with. It's possible that Williams is more like a Break Glass In Case of Emergency replacement if Conner were to miss time as opposed to a featured part of the Arizona offense.

Cordarrelle Patterson vs Damien Williams vs Tyler Allgeier, RB, ATL

Patterson is the clear top running back here, but the former wide receiver runs too high to take on a traditional workhorse burden. There should be slack for at least one of Williams or Allgeier to do something, just as Mike Davis was surprisingly busy in 2021 despite Patterson's breakout success.

Good as he is, Patterson is not a complete back – his rushing functions are limited between the tackles. Williams, by contrast, is very much a complete back at 220 pounds with a three-down skill set, but Williams has had durability troubles for most of his NFL career. Allgeier is an incomplete back given his lack of passing down polish, but he stands out as the one true bruiser in the group, and by far the most durable of the three.

When all three are healthy, Patterson and Williams can handle all the snaps, but if Williams or Patterson were to miss time then the offense probably needs Allgeier to play upwards of 30 snaps per game in that scenario. There might not be a clear backup to Patterson this year, with Williams and Allgeier on similar footing despite their different traits.

James Cook vs Zack Moss vs Duke Johnson vs Raheem Blackshear, RB, BUF

Devin Singletary is the starter here, so the question is how many remaining reps there are to split up between what number of candidates. As a second-round pick Cook is the presumed heir to a substantial role in the Buffalo offense, but it's not perfectly clear how the Bills mean to handle him, especially in a rookie year where there's no pressure to rush him, fan and fantasy investor expectations aside. The Bills offense never really featured pass-catching setups for the running backs, so for them to clear out usage for a novelty player like Cook they would need to feature new formations that set up backfield targets at the expense of the downfield concepts they mostly targeted under Brian Daboll. Those new setups would presumably favor Cook, but Moss is a skilled pass catcher himself and the duo of Johnson and Blackshear are specifically memorable as standout pass catchers.

If the Bills mean to use more running back functions than in the past then it would make sense if they kept four running backs rather than three and kept at least three active on game day as opposed to the two they often would under Daboll. If Johnson or Blackshear make the team as a fourth runner then everyone has a problem, because it's unlikely either fails with whatever opportunity they might grab.

Dameon Pierce vs Rex Burkhead vs Marlon Mack, RB, HOU

Pierce was only a rotational player at Florida, but the rookie fourth-round pick was extremely productive in that role, both as a runner and pass catcher. Pierce also has an ideal frame (5-foot-10, 218 pounds) to withstand volume, so there could be real upside with him. The only thing we don't know is whether he would have burned out with a bigger workload in college, but that uncertainty cuts both ways – Pierce never gave any indication that he would have burned out, so the absence of proof can't be turned into a negative. Even if Pierce loses a little motor with a heavier workload, it's hard to believe the result could be worse than what Mack and Burkhead otherwise provide. Burkhead is the team's most reliable passing down back and may have a safer role than Mack as a result, but Pierce could be capable on passing downs himself.

Pierce has otherwise drawn consistent, sometimes emphatic praise in training camp. Even if that's just because it's easy to look good next to Mack and Burkhead, the same would be true in the regular season. If Pierce can get the playing time then he'll have value, ugly offense or not.

Ronald Jones vs Isiah Pacheco vs Jerick McKinnon, RB, KC

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is locked in as the starter, and the question of who else might play would seemingly be subject to the question of what tasks remain after CEH has played his snaps. The Chiefs have used CEH mostly as a rushing specialist so far, and his 5-foot-7, 204-pound frame fell apart both seasons. If they continue to use him in this capacity, which has reliably injured him in each case, then it would leave more pass-catching work than rushing work, which would suit McKinnon more than Jones or Pacheco. If CEH does more pass-catching work and less running, then it would suit Jones and Pacheco more.

Pacheco has earned consistent praise in training camp to this point, which makes sense because he is a high-motor runner who boasts standout speed on a 216-pound frame. The Chiefs have already talked up Pacheco too much to sneak him safely onto their practice squad, so he already seems about as much of a roster lock as a seventh-round pick can be.

Isaiah Spiller vs Joshua Kelley vs Larry Rountree, RB, LAC

As a fourth-round pick and accomplished former SEC starter Spiller is the heavy favorite here. Kelley has tanked to a puzzling extent in the NFL, and Rountree never profiled as a serious NFL prospect. If Spiller can't take this one with ease then the Chargers really screwed up.

The good news is that by all accounts Spiller is doing what was expected of him, and for now he's the Chargers' presumed lead power runner while starter and do-everything playmaker Austin Ekeler saves his talents for the more open parts of the field.

Miles Sanders vs Kenneth Gainwell vs Boston Scott vs Kennedy Brooks, RB, PHI

SI's John McMullen reported that while Sanders is the starter, Gainwell has seen a disproportionate number of 'high leverage' snaps in training camp – third downs, hurryup situations, and even short-yardage running. Gainwell is an excellent pass catcher and Scott is a good one, so it's hard to see what prayer Sanders has to take many passing-down reps from them.

Brooks is mostly a nonfactor in this situation as it stands, but he could emerge as another problem for Sanders down the road. The undrafted back out of Oklahoma was extremely productive in college, though like Sanders not much of his production occurred as a receiver.

Jeff Wilson vs Trey Sermon vs Tyrion Davis-Price, RB, SF

Some might be confused otherwise, but Elijah Mitchell is the clear, no-question starter at running back for San Francisco. The backup has yet to be determined, though, and the answer to the question could easily prove significant given how easily injuries can hit at running back.

Wilson is the incumbent and by far the most polished, trusted candidate among the group, to the point that he almost seems like a roster lock despite his low profile. Kyle Shanahan trusts Wilson, which is at once the most important thing to Shanahan and an area where Sermon and Davis-Price are uniquely dubious. Sermon managed to stay in the doghouse his whole rookie year, and Davis-Price is reportedly off to a slow start after an LSU career defined mostly by weight fluctuation and poor production. Davis-Price will probably make the team as a third-round pick, but he could easily be a healthy scratch all year if everyone else stays healthy.

Dontrell Hilliard vs Hassan Haskins, RB, TEN

Although the Titans spent a fourth-round pick on Haskins in the 2022 draft, there's still a good chance he doesn't play very much as a rookie. Haskins is a tall, heavy runner with likely below-average athleticism, and his calling card (power) is of course still lesser than what Derrick Henry provides. Not just that, but longtime Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky posited that Hilliard would remain the team's passing-down back all year. Haskins would instantly plug into a bigger rushing workload if Henry were to miss time, but there's no guarantee that he's good enough in that capacity to take much more than short-yardage work even then.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Jalen Tolbert vs ???, WR, DAL

Normally James Washington would be the competition for Tolbert, the rookie third-round pick out of South Alabama, but Washington's broken foot has him out almost indefinitely, and Michael Gallup (ACL) is on an uncertain timeline himself. Players like Simi Fehoko and Noah Brown are not serious competition for a prospect of Tolbert's caliber.

It would therefore seem safe to say that, barring a free agent or trade acquisition, the Cowboys have little choice but to depend on Tolbert as a starter to open the year – and not just in three-wide sets. Given their current depth chart, Tolbert might be a 60-snap player as a receiver who plays even in two-wide sets. The eventual return of Gallup would likely push Tolbert to the WR3 role, although even that assumption might get complicated if Tolbert plays well prior to that point.

Sammy Watkins vs Romeo Doubs vs Christian Watson, WR, GB

Although the Packers traded up nearly into the first round to select Watson, he was reportedly off to a rough start in OTAs even before his current knee issue flared up. It's not clear when Watson will return to the field, and in the meantime the fellow rookie Doubs has all but claimed a starting role even as a late fourth-round pick. Doubs can play inside or out, but it's Green Bay's glaring lack of specifically outside receiver personnel that has the Packers more dependent on Doubs than even they would like to be. But Doubs' only concern as a prospect was his speed, and he's repeatedly making downfield plays against Eric Stokes, who ran a 4.31-second pro day 40 last year. Even if the Packers ended up all-in on Doubs only by accident, it could still work out fine.

Watkins is in any case the settled starter at one outside receiver position, with incumbent WR1 Allen Lazard primarily working as a big slot receiver in three-wide functions. The enigmatic former top prospect has let us down many times over the course of his career, mostly due to injuries outside his control, but if his health would cooperate he has the talent to thrive with whatever workload he can hold up under.

Mecole Hardman vs Skyy Moore vs Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, KC

JuJu Smith-Schuster is the WR1 in this offense, and the Chiefs figure to design a lot of their plays with the intention of freeing up him and Travis Kelce. That's to say that the remaining Kansas City wide receiver reps, while still enviable generally, might not provide for consistent or predictable fantasy utility. Hardman, Moore and Valdes-Scantling could end up in a committee based on situation and defensive strategy, and when on the field the Chiefs might make use of their speed to pull defenders away from JSS and Kelce rather than make them featured targets in the route progression.

The decoy concern is especially true for Valdes-Scantling, who has a career catch rate under 50 percent and struggles with jams outside. Valdes-Scantling is better from the slot and from bunch formations, and such setups will often be favorable run-game matchups for the Chiefs. Hardman and Moore are better threats from scrimmage than MVS, yet they might cut their remaining pie halfway with Hardman perhaps doing more downfield and the stocky Moore taking more in-traffic work underneath. In short, this should be a group better for real-life football than fantasy football, though if JSS were to miss time that could change in a hurry.

TIGHT ENDS

Albert Okwuegbunam vs Greg Dulcich, TE, DEN

Dulcich missed the last week of OTAs and first seven training camp practices with a hamstring injury, but had returned to full practice as of Thursday. There's no indication that he has anything in particular on Okwuegbunam, who is 15 pounds heavier than Dulcich and 0.2 faster in the 40-yard dash. Reports on Okwuegbunam are otherwise consistently positive.

Mo Alie-Cox vs Kylen Granson vs Jelani Woods, TE, IND

Woods has reportedly struggled, which is unsurprising given that the third-round pick was a slow starter in college too. Woods has significant athletic tools to work with as a tight end who is both lumbering and fast, but harnessing those tools may take time. Granson is a pass-catching specialist who has struggled to catch passes so far. Alie-Cox is the clear leader in this group and boasts substantial athleticism, but it remains to be seen how much the Colts will feature him as a route runner specifically. The main drag on Alie-Cox is that he's a great blocker, so sometimes the fact that he's a very good pass catcher too takes a backseat.

Brevin Jordan vs Pharaoh Brown, TE, HOU

Coach Lovie Smith declared Brown the starting tight end for Houston, but there might be a ceremonial aspect to that. Brown is pretty much just a blocker, which makes it odd that he lost 18 pounds this offseason. If Brown is around 240 pounds then in that case he's no longer even a Big Tight End, he's just a skinny one. Skinny tight ends generally don't block. We'll see.

Whatever eventually happens with Brown, Jordan plays a different sub-type of tight end and is a lock to draw more targets than Brown, even if Brown plays more snaps. Jordan was only a fringe prospect out of Miami but the best kind: one who was extremely productive at a young age. Even now Jordan has only been 22 for about a month, making him three months younger than a rookie like Greg Dulcich. Jordan's rookie year was more encouraging than concerning, as he showed a reliable ability to produce underneath. If Jordan can expand his routes downfield this year then even with Brown hanging around Jordan could make a surprisingly visible fantasy impact.

Gerald Everett vs Donald Parham, TE, LAC

This is perhaps shaping up to be a zero-sum situation between two players who are just good enough to stay in each other's way but not quite good enough to ever take a lead over the other. Everett is the presumed starting tight end for the Chargers after they signed him to a two-year, $12 million deal this offseason, but Parham is an exceptional athlete and can make splash jumpball plays that the shorter Everett can't. But Parham's otherwise remarkable athleticism is undermined by his unhelpfully tall frame at over 6-foot-8 – there are times when you need to get small and Parham can't do it. It's hard to see how Everett holds off Parham enough to accumulate the numbers his fantasy investors want, and it's hard to see Parham playing enough snaps to see the volume his investors might dream on.

Daniel Bellinger vs Jordan Akins vs Ricky Seals-Jones, TE, NYG

Perhaps this role won't be an enviable one, but it really looks like the rookie fourth-round pick Bellinger is going to start for the Giants. Akins and Seals-Jones are seemingly the only competition, but they're barely visible and the Giants have enough receivers that they might not have any use for a pass-catching specialist at tight end.

Unlike Akins or Seals-Jones, Bellinger can play real, inline tight end. Not just that, but he has 4.63 speed to work with. Bellinger's pass-catching production wasn't great at San Diego State, but it was a clunky passing game that made it difficult to evaluate him. If Daniel Jones breaks out in 2022 and Bellinger earns a three-down role then a Dawson Knox-like impact is within reach, even if less than likely.