Depth Chart Watch: Training Camp Job Battles

If your fantasy baseball team isn't doing so well, chin up -- it's almost football time! Yes, the 2017 draft season is rapidly approaching, and with training camp getting underway, we've got a whole new preseason (and then regular season) of job battles ahead of us. If you're looking for that early edge, here's where to find it. Fortunately, once you've done all your draft prep and need something to do with your Sundays until the season gets going, I know a certain dragon queen who's looking for followers. Shall we begin?

QUARTERBACK

Chicago Bears

Now, I know that the Bears are saying all the right things about Mike Glennon (who did, to be fair, sign a three-year deal with them this summer) holding the No. 1 job for the entire 2017 campaign, but do you really make an enormously stupid trade to draft Mitchell Trubisky, only to give him no chance at all to start? Maybe you do, but maybe Trubisky changes hearts and minds in preseason action. More likely, the inexperienced Glennon falters or is injured at some point during his first-ever NFL season as a full-time starter, pressing the rookie into action.

Cleveland Browns

While there are four names theoretically in competition here, there are really only two who merit our attention: Cody Kessler and 2017 second-round selection DeShone Kizer. Sure, Brock Osweiler is here, and his starting experience means he really can't be counted out; Kevin Hogan is kicking around too, but he's the dimmest of dark horses. Kessler is the favorite to start come Week 1, while Kizer is expected to give him a run for his money and perhaps even claim the job despite his reputation as a project quarterback. Those two are better fits for the Browns' system than Osweiler, but the trio's fight is far from over, and it'll come down to how they perform in camp. This is a battle to watch, as its fallout will affect all the Browns' skill players.

Denver Broncos

Trevor Siemian won this job last year and played decently, but he finds himself in competition with Paxton Lynch -- a 2016 first-rounder -- once again this time around. Lynch has gotten some positive talk from his coaching staff as well as top wideout Demaryius Thomas, and he's always been considered the more promising specimen from a standpoint of raw athleticism. Of course, quarterback is a head game, especially in the NFL, and Lynch's modest experience makes him the underdog. But he's like an even bigger version of Ben Roethlisberger, which I'm certainly not the first person to observe, while Siemien kind of seems like one of those "just a guy" types.

Houston Texans

As of the end of OTAs, Tom Savage is your starter in Houston, but after the Texans took Deshaun Watson 12th overall, there's no reason to declare this battle over. Watson looked like an impressive, multidimensional (if somewhat error-prone) quarterback in college, and he's been getting plenty of love from the coaching staff. Savage, meanwhile, is not the kind of guy who puts butts in the seats -- we're talking about a 27-year-old quarterback who has only attempted 92 NFL passes and is still looking for his first career touchdown. It looks like no one's going to hand Watson anything he doesn't earn, but that doesn't mean he can't be the Texans' starter as soon as Week 1.

Minnesota Vikings

After throwing 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions in his 15 games with Minnesota last year after a surprising trade just ahead of Week 1, Sam Bradford looks to be entrenched as the starter heading into 2017. However, Teddy Bridgewater (knee) is coming along steadily in his lengthy recovery process from the injury that cost him all of 2016, and his return could complicate things down the line.

New York Jets

As the Jets prepare for what may well be a winless 2017 season, Josh McCown remains the favorite for the starting QB role, but he did not look good in minicamp; notable New York sports talk radio punchline Christian Hackenberg actually performed well enough that there's some controversy to be found here. After struggling in 2016, Bryce Petty looks like he's definitively the third-stringer, leaving Hackenberg and McCown to duel it out in camp. With the way the Jets seem to be shaping up, it wouldn't be surprising if they were to hand the starting role to the worst quarterback they could find.

RUNNING BACK

Atlanta Falcons

It's going to be another season of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman splitting the touches in Atlanta, with Freeman likely again enjoying a noticeable edge in workload while Coleman continues to do a lot with his backup carries. When Coleman was healthy, the Freeman-Coleman Initiative saw this tandem work in about a 60-40 touch split in Freeman's favor last year, which leaves plenty of fantasy upside for both of them.

Baltimore Ravens

With Kenneth Dixon suspended for four games to open 2017, Terrance West will have a strong opportunity to grab hold of the No. 1 role early on the heels of his 1,010 total yards in 2016, but it's not clear that he'll be able to sink his teeth into it. When Dixon returns, he'll certainly carve out his share of the work; however, there may be even fewer passing-down opportunities for both of them thanks to the offseason addition of Danny Woodhead.

Carolina Panthers

Long-time readers of this column may remember the DeAngelo Williams-Jonathan Stewart Mutually Assured Destruction of Fantasy Value Tour, also known by the extremely catchy acronym DWJSMADFVT. Well, after two years of largely carrying the load following Williams' departure ahead of the 2015 season, Williams has a new dancing partner in No. 8 overall pick Christian McCaffrey, who would look like a guy who went to Stanford even if you didn't know he went to Stanford. Expect McCaffrey to immediately assume most of the passing-down work as well as splitting off a number of Stewart's carries (whether Ron Rivera will admit that or not), an arrangement that will conspire to limit both backs' workloads. That is to say… yes… you know what's happening: The Jonathan Stewart-Christian McCaffrey Mutually Assured Destruction of Fantasy Value Tour (JSCMMADFVT!), potentially coming to a city near you! To be fair, PPR owners may appreciate McCaffrey's offerings, but Stewart's owners will probably be left wanting most weeks.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have never had a problem taking on players with character issues, so they were seemingly happy to spend a second-round pick on Joe Mixon when he fell in the draft after video evidence re-surfaced of him punching a woman in the face a few years ago. Perhaps going into the pros will motivate him to clean up his act and redeem himself on a personal level; if he does indeed go on the straight and narrow, his football future can be a very bright one. After all, he's in a good spot to succeed -- Giovani Bernard is just eight months removed from an ACL tear, while Jeremy Hill is one of the slowest running backs in the league. Mixon has the size and speed to be a workhorse back, and the only thing his fantasy owners really need to worry about is the potential of Hill stealing his goal-line work.

Cleveland Browns

There's been some word that Duke Johnson could take on a bigger role in the offense this year, but Isaiah Crowell appears likely to retain a heavier share of the duties, especially in terms of rushing and goal-line work. Considering their relative skill sets, it wouldn't be a surprise if Crowell were to see a decrease in receiving opportunities in 2017, with Johnson the beneficiary. I've always liked Johnson's game, and he looks to be trending in the right direction, but Crowell's presence limits his value to that of a flex play except in PPR formats.

Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott kind of seems like he's in every kind of trouble these days, but it's time to pump the brakes on the thought of devaluing him. He is facing domestic-violence allegations that may result in a brief suspension (hey there, Darren McFadden -- you enjoy that week or two of glory), but Elliott's other legal issues are getting overblown in the press. Yeah, he was at a bar when there was a fight -- but police said there was nothing connecting him to the assault that took place and that the alleged victim gave them fake contact information. Oh, he also got a speeding ticket for doing 100 in a 70 zone -- something none of us have ever done, I'm sure. Elliott needs to watch himself because he's earning a reputation for getting into trouble and that means eyes will be on him at all times, but he could miss a game and still lead the league in rushing (again).

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have a lot of mouths to feed with C.J. Anderson, Jamaal Charles and Devontae Booker, but considering how last season went for that trio, not much feeding might go on. All three of those guys have dealt with major knee injuries, which isn't the kind of thing you want your running backs to have in common. I don't believe that Charles will ever be a fantasy-relevant player again, and you can't be blamed for having reservations about Anderson after the last two seasons. Booker's the most interesting name here -- I believe he has the upside to be a much better rusher than he was last year, when he wore down prematurely. He's going to be better prepared this time around. Fifth-round rookie De'Angelo Henderson also bears mentioning, considering the potential for injuries ahead of him on the depth chart.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Leonard Fournette is as exciting a back as anyone who's come into the NFL since Adrian Peterson (or should I say since Ezekiel Elliott?), and he's expected to march right into Jacksonville and steal lead-back duties straight away from a Chris Ivory-T.J. Yeldon combo that yielded so little last season. Yeldon may take some passing-down plays away from him, but Fournette is going to carry the rock a lot, and I wouldn't question his ability to catch the ball. He deserves to be drafted high, but know that it's always a gamble to some degree when you use an early pick on a player who's never taken an NFL snap. Of course, if you're going to do so at any one position, running back is it.

Minnesota Vikings

One of the more fantasy-relevant storylines in camp will be how things play out in the Vikings' backfield in the officially post-Adrian Peterson era. The club just drafted Dalvin Cook in the second round, and he'll be battling ex-Raider Latavius Murray for starting duties. Cook was a stud in college, but Murray scored a dozen touchdowns last year despite carrying the ball less than 200 times; this duo will duke it out for supremacy throughout training camp, but the logical outcome is a timeshare.

New England Patriots

The Patriots love to poach players from their division rivals, and they did just that with Mike Gillislee this offseason, swiping him from Buffalo with an offer sheet that the Bills refused to match. Thus they acquired a back who's rushed for more than 800 yards (844 to be precise) on just 148 carries over the last two seasons -- a 5.7 YPC. Gillislee is expected to take on LeGarrette Blount's old job, which means a lot of rushing duty and not a lot of receiving; meanwhile, the Pats have three guys who can catch the ball out of the backfield in James White, Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead, and that wealth of options will probably dilute the fantasy value of all three.

New Orleans Saints

Dem Saints have added some depth in the backfield and may be looking at a three-headed committee approach, which is bad news for Mark Ingram; unless Adrian Peterson gets hurt (certainly not impossible), it may be hard for Ingram to reach 200 carries, and rookie Alvin Kamara promises to cut into his receiving work. Health permitting, all these players will be valuable in flashes, but it's likely that they'll also frustrate fantasy owners as often as not.

New York Giants

Paul Perkins looks to be the Giants' top rusher this year, and accordingly he's worth a serious fantasy investment, but Shane Vereen is finally healthy after last year's double triceps disaster and will surely split off some work on passing downs. Still, there's really nothing standing in Perkins' way this season as long as he runs well and stays on the field.

Philadelphia Eagles

LeGarrette Blount just feels like the sort of player who will see his value tank absurdly upon leaving New England, but for now, he looks like the Eagles' primary early-down back. His competition isn't strong (Wendell Smallwood and rookie Dalton Pumphrey along with pass-catching specialist Darren Sproles), but don't draft the guy like he's going to run for 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns again.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks picked up Eddie Lacy in the offseason, and he's currently projected to split their carries with Thomas Rawls. Both of these guys struggled with injuries (and in Rawls' case, ineffectiveness) last year, so there's room for pretty major swings in playing time here depending on how healthy these guys can stay. Meanwhile, C.J. Prosise projects to attain PPR relevance via third-down duties.

San Francisco 49ers

Carlos Hyde may be the incumbent, but he's coming off a knee injury and isn't quite entrenched as the Niners' starter, as the team brought in a number of backs in the offseason. Tim Hightower, fresh off a strong stint in New Orleans, will challenge Hyde for carries, and fourth-round rookie Joe Williams will reportedly also have the opportunity to gain a significant share of the touches.

Washington Redskins

Fourth-round pick Samaje Perine is allegedly supposed to challenge for the starting role, but after how good Rob Kelley looked last year (plus his positive offseason reports), it's not likely that the Skins will make a change. Former starter Matt Jones is probably the real loser in this situation, while Chris Thompson will retain value thanks to his utility on passing downs.

WIDE RECEIVER

Baltimore Ravens

Offseason import Jeremy Maclin may steal No. 1 receiver duties away from incumbent Mike Wallace this year, which would be quite the slap in the face after the latter hit 1,000 receiving yards last season for the first time since 2011. The Ravens' 2015 first-round pick, Breshad Perriman, is also around, looking to build on a 2016 campaign that saw him catch only 50 percent of the balls thrown his way while being eased into action with part-time snaps.

Chicago Bears

The Bears have an interesting crowd at receiver -- a lot of upside, but little established talent. Offseason acquisition Markus Wheaton is coming off shoulder surgery, and Cameron Meredith still needs to get over a ligament issue in his thumb, though that shouldn't be a problem by the time Week 1 rolls around. The much-injured Kevin White is ostensibly this club's top wideout, but he and Meredith will be duking it out for the job and there's plenty of dark-horse appeal from the back end of this depth chart, which features recognizable names like Kendall Wright and Victor Cruz.

Cincinnati Bengals

After A.J. Green, it's an open field at wideout for the Bengals. Yeah, Brandon LaFell is still around, but No. 9 overall pick John Ross seems likely to overtake him (health permitting -- he already has a shoulder issue), and Tyler Boyd showed enough promise last year that he'll have to be involved as well. It'll be interesting to watch those three jockey for position in camp.

Cleveland Browns

After an injury-plagued rookie season, Corey Coleman is looking to break out as a sophomore, but his various ailments have made his progress slower than the Browns would like. The team did, however, bring on a veteran complement in the form of Kenny Britt, who's coming off his first 1,000-yard season despite the fact that he played for the Rams last year. Britt's had his own health issues, and with the depth here rather ugly, he and Coleman will need to stay healthy for the Browns' passing game to look even remotely competent.

Denver Broncos

We all know what Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders bring to the table, but don't sleep on the potential of rookie Carlos Henderson, who's slotting into that third receiver spot right now. It's not clear that the Broncos can support three fantasy-relevant wideouts, but hey, things happen.

Detroit Lions

Golden Tate and Marvin Jones are assured of significant roles, but with Matthew Stafford apt to hurl the ball 50 times on any given Sunday, there's room for more fantasy utility in this receiving corps. Enter third-round pick Kenny Golladay, who could become an instant goal-line threat for a club that otherwise lacks size at receiver. TJ Jones and Jace Billingsley (whom Tate has compared to himself) are interesting names to watch deeper on the chart, as is ex-Packer Jared Abbrederis.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers went big at receiver in the draft this year, taking Mike Williams seventh overall, but he has a back injury that could end up requiring surgery. Even if he does recover without going under the knife, he's going to be stuck behind Keenan Allen and Tyrell Williams on the depth chart, especially considering the reps the rookie's going to miss thanks to his injury. His health and ability to pick up the offense will have a noticeable effect on the values of Allen (a risky play himself coming off a torn ACL) and the elder Williams.

Minnesota Vikings

After catching just a single pass in his rookie campaign, Laquon Treadwell will be looking to expand his productivity exponentially this year, but he'll have to deal with working behind Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen in an offense that doesn't project to run a high volume of pass plays.

New York Jets

Now that Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall are gone, things are looking even uglier for the Jets. When Quincy Enunwa is your No. 1 receiver, you know you're in for a tough year. He's a fine third wideout, but he's not exactly the guy you want as the core of your receiving corps. Second-year man Robby Anderson showed some big-play ability last year, and there may be more upside to be found looking in his direction -- but he may end up being suspended for his off-field conduct. The Jets took ArDarius Stewart in the third round, and while he doesn't project as an instant-impact fantasy asset, he'll have an opportunity to win significant reps -- as will Charone Peake and Chad Hansen.

Tennessee Titans

The Jets' loss of Eric Decker is Tennessee's gain, as he gives their wideout corps a much-needed injection of experience and playmaking ability. That's not all the Titans did, though, as they spent the No. 5 overall pick on Corey Davis, who instantly becomes the most intriguing name among this crew. I suspect Decker and Davis will leech a good number of targets from Rishard Matthews, who had 108 balls thrown his way last season.

Washington Redskins

Terrelle Pryor was a great addition for the Redskins, as he gives them a field-stretching receiver to complement the possession talents of Jamison Crowder while taking the pressure off Josh Doctson to take a huge leap in productivity in Year 2. Doctson managed to play just two games and catch just two passes due to an Achilles injury last season, but he's healthy now and perhaps ready to flash the potential that made him the 22nd overall pick in 2016. As for Pryor, a converted quarterback who's coming off a stunning breakout season, it can only help his cause to join forces with Kirk Cousins, a better passer than anyone he's played with before. His edge in size over the departed DeSean Jackson -- who caught 1,000-plus yards worth of passes from Cousins last year -- should play well in this offense.

TIGHT END

Cleveland Browns

First-round pick David Njoku is expected to step right in as the Browns' starting tight end, and he's known as a pass-catcher, but it's hard to imagine huge productivity straightaway. The organization seems to take a bright view of Seth DeValve's future, but it's hard to see him earning many reps with Njoku handling passing situations and Randall Telfer coming in for blocking purposes.

Los Angeles Chargers

No, Antonio Gates hasn't retired, but even though he's still kicking around at age 37, he's no longer able to handle a full-time workload. Enter Hunter Henry, who's coming off a pretty successful rookie campaign (36 snags for 478 yards and eight touchdowns on 53 targets) despite splitting snaps with Gates. Word is that Henry will see his workload increase this year, which should make him one of the more valuable tight ends in fantasy.

Los Angeles Rams

Second-year man Tyler Higbee is ostensibly the top tight end for the Rams, but he should face strong competition from 2017 second-round selection Gerald Everett, who's been earning comps to Washington's Jordan Reed (except for the injury-prone part, hopefully). Everett's certainly one to watch in camp.

New York Giants

The Giants picked up Evan Engram in the first round of this year's draft, and it appears he'll open the season as the No. 1 tight end ahead of mediocre incumbent Will Tye. Yes, Eli Manning has a lot of mouths to feed, but he's made good use of his tight ends before.

New York Jets

Austin Seferian-Jenkins will miss the season's first two games to a suspension, but he'll be the Jets' top tight end upon his return -- unless second-year man Jordan Leggett manages to step up and claim the job in his absence, which isn't too likely.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Poor Cameron Brate. After breaking out last year by winning a big role that led to 57 catches for 660 yards and eight touchdowns, he had to sit and watch as the Bucs drafted O.J. Howard in the first round. Both huge and fast, Howard runs a 4.51 40-yard dash while measuring in at 6-foot-6, 251 pounds, but Brate is simply too effective to be eliminated from the offense; accordingly, these two will damage one another's fantasy value as long as they're healthy.