Job Battles: More MVS Momentum

Here are some of the NFL job battles that have seen new developments in the past week.

QUARTERBACK

Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Josh Rosen, MIA

Fitzpatrick opened training camp with the starters, but Rosen seems to have gained ground since then. Coach Brian Flores said Rosen's showing in Miami's third preseason game made it "harder" to decide the starter for Week 1. Rosen completed 5-of-7 passes for 59 yards while running for 23 yards on four carries against the Jaguars, giving him a preseason completion percentage of 62.2 at 7.8 yards per pass with no touchdowns and one interception. Fitzpatrick did well enough in the same game, completing 12-of-18 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, but he was bad enough in the prior two games that he's still just 17-of-32 for 166 yards on the preseason (53.1 completion percentage, 5.2 YPA).

It seems like Fitzpatrick is still the favorite to start in Week 1, but he has an extensive history of getting benched for his turnover tendencies, and it's difficult to imagine why this year would be any different, especially if Rosen continues to gain traction.

RUNNING BACK

Darwin Thompson vs. Darrel Williams vs. Carlos Hyde, KC

The consensus of Kansas City media is that Hyde has fallen behind not just Thompson, the promising rookie sixth-round pick out of Utah State, but also the formerly undrafted thumper Williams. Apparently out of contention for the backup role behind Damien Williams, it's difficult to see what Hyde could offer the Chiefs to ensure he makes the final roster.

If Hyde is out of the picture, then Thompson should have little trouble earning more work from scrimmage than Darrel, whose 4.7 speed leaves him unable to match the playmaking pace set by Thompson. Thompson is limited somewhat by his frame (5-foot-8, 198 pounds), where the 230-pound Williams can take more punishment, so Thompson might get his primary share of usage during competitive situations while Williams handles thankless short-yardage and clock-killing work.

Kenyan Drake (foot) vs. Kalen Ballage, MIA

Drake returned to practice Monday after missing two weeks of practice with a foot injury, marking a quick return from what previously looked like a threat to make him questionable for Week 1. Not only that, but Drake reportedly looked promising in his return to the practice field. If Drake is healthy, there's reason to believe he'll take over as the lead back by the season's start, and then maintain hold of it throughout the regular season.

For as much as the Dolphins opened training camp with Ballage as the first-team running back at Drake's expense, Flores and company have already gotten a glimpse of how difficult it would be to stand by Ballage as anything more than a role player in the regular season. There's simply very little precedent for running backs to struggle the way Ballage did in college and then prove a viable starter in the NFL. You can read a more extensive breakdown of Ballage's concerning prospect profile at this blog post here, but otherwise it's safe to say that Ballage's 15 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches was not a good showing in Miami's third preseason game. As the blog post alludes to, Ballage needs to worry about not only Drake, but even Myles Gaskin and Mark Walton.

Dare Ogunbowale vs. Andre Ellington vs. Bruce Anderson, TB

Though in uncertain order, Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones sit atop the Tampa Bay depth chart at running back. There's a way for a third runner to get his foot in the door, though, as both Barber and Jones seem inadequate for passing down functions. Ogunbowale seems to have the lead for that role at the moment, and he could earn more running work if he plays well while the previously named duo continues to struggle.

Ogunbowale (5-foot-11, 213 pounds) went undrafted after walking on at Wisconsin, where he backed up Corey Clement, and with a 4.65-second 40-yard dash he doesn't offer much in the way of big-play ability. But his polish in passing-down tasks has seemingly earned him steady praise in Tampa, making him the favorite over the other two primary competitors for this passing-down role, Ellington and Anderson.

For as much as Ogunbowale looks underwhelming as a rushing prospect, there's reason to think his athletic profile might prove sufficient for an eventual promotion to early-down tasks if he maintains his momentum. While the 40 time was not great, a 120-inch broad jump and 6.99-second three-cone drill imply adequate short-area movement to navigate through and around traffic, and his college output of 1,518 yards (4.8 YPC) and 13 touchdowns is sufficient as a runner. By catching 24 of 30 targets for 208 yards (80 percent catch rate, 6.9 YPT) his senior year, he gave a preview of the pass-catching upside he's evidently displaying in Tampa Bay right now. He's worth putting on the FAAB speed dial and maybe even worth a bench spot in PPR leagues of 14 or more teams.

WIDE RECEIVER

John Ross (hamstring) vs. Damion Willis, CIN

Tyler Boyd is locked into one starting role while A.J. Green (ankle) sits in the first few weeks, leaving Ross to compete with Willis for the other starting spot in that stretch. It would be the least expected of Ross, a former ninth overall pick, but it'd be quite a feat for Willis, an undrafted rookie out of Troy.

Indeed, it's surprising that Willis has made it even to this point, displacing the likes of Josh Malone, Alex Erickson, and Cody Core to get here. But a closer look at his prospect profile indicates some significant level of skill, so he's worth monitoring closely in deeper leagues and probably is worth picking up in many dynasty formats. He just turned 22 in June, and over the last two years he caught 98 of 150 targets for 1,496 yards and 13 touchdowns (65.3 percent catch rate, 10.0 YPT) in an offense that completed 65.0 percent of its passes at 7.6 yards per attempt. That's legitimately strong production and does a lot to offset his otherwise below average athleticism (4.51-second 40, 33.5-inch vertical, 110-inch broad jump). He's comparable to Geronimo Allison as a prospect.

Still, if Ross is healthy he should be the favorite to be the second-most active Cincinnati receiver after Boyd. His durability concerns are about as bad as anyone's, but even if he has minimal practice time his 4.22 speed will be tough to leave on the sideline. Willis had a nice career at Troy, but it's hard to believe he could catch 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns in the same offense as Dante Pettis.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. Jake Kumerow vs. Equanimeous St. Brown (leg), GB

Valdes-Scantling entered training camp as one of Green Bay's starting outside receivers and hasn't let go of that role, putting him on track to line up opposite Davante Adams in Week 1. Geronimo Allison seemingly faces no competition in the slot, but Allison generally seems likely to play fewer two-wide sets than MVS. It was by all accounts headed toward outcome regardless, but Valdes-Scantling's grip on the starting role only improved with the high ankle sprain suffered by St. Brown, which should keep him out until at least Sept. 19.

With St. Brown neutralized for now, MVS needs to hold off only Kumerow, who still can't be dismissed despite currently slotting lower on the depth chart. Kumerow (27) has an experience advantage over Valdes-Scantling (25 in October), so Kumerow might capitalize if the second-year wideouts have any trouble. Despite running behind MVS all offseason, Kumerow has at least had a productive preseason, catching seven passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.

TIGHT END

Tyler Eifert vs. C.J. Uzomah, CIN

Uzomah isn't often targeted in fantasy drafts ahead of Eifert, but it looks like Uzomah will play the bigger role. That's in large part due to possessing better durability than the uncommonly fragile Eifert, whose season-ending ankle injury from last year adds to the already substantial concern over his history of back issues.

Uzomah's 2018 production implies limited pass-catching upside, however, and certainly less pass-catching production on a per-snap basis. He finished last year with 43 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns on 64 targets (67.2 percent catch rate, 6.9 YPT), all of which were career bests. Uzomah's blocking rate last year was 10 points higher than Eifert's, and with only 64 targets on 841 snaps he earned targets at a much lower rate than Eifert (19 targets in 132 snaps). Uzomah's peripherals hint at a maxed-out snap count in 2018 and there's not much reason to expect a per-snap production increase to offset any potential decline there. Eifert, meanwhile, will likely do more per-target and could match Uzomah's target count even on a lighter snap load.