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Which NFL players will emerge as their team's starters and why? Justin Carter breaks down some key training camp battles and their fantasy football impact in 2024.
NFL training camp has arrived, and the preseason is just around the corner. While we know plenty already about who will start at various positions around the league, there are always battles for certain starting spots during this time of year.
Sometimes it's because a new player comes in to challenge for a starting role. Other times, a starter leaves, and the remaining players are left to compete for his previous snap share.
Below are my predictions for who will win some key training camp battles that will have a large impact on the fantasy football season in 2024.
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Aidan O'Connell vs. Gardner Minshew II, QB - Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders turned to Aidan O'Connell at quarterback in 2023, with the rookie starting 10 games. He went 5-5 as a starter, completing 62.1% of his pass attempts for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. It was a solid campaign for the fourth-round pick out of Purdue, but was it enough to net him the starting spot in 2024?
Aidan O'Connell is now the favorite to be the Raiders starting QB 👀 pic.twitter.com/Dmzd9ewf4d
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) July 25, 2024
Maybe, but the team's addition of Minshew clouds that, especially after signing him to a two-year / $25 million contract. Minshew started 13 games for the Colts last season, completing 62.2% of his passes for 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. As passers, the two posted fairly similar numbers, although Minshew adds a little more on the ground, finishing with 100 rushing yards while O'Connell had just 11.
Minshew is the better quarterback of the two, but the Raiders almost certainly will want to see if O'Connell can build off his 2023 before turning to Minshew. Expect O'Connell to win this battle out of camp but for the leash to be relatively short. He already has the trust of head coach Antonio Pierce as well.
Winner: Aidan O'Connell
Jacoby Brissett vs. Drake Maye, QB - New England Patriots
This is another situation where we have a solid bridge QB with a young guy fighting for the job. The difference between the Raiders and Patriots situations is that Brissett has a longer track record than Minshew does of being a capable spot starter.
On one hand, this battle feels more interesting because there's so much more unknown, but on the other hand, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Brissett will win the job, as the Patriots don't have the offensive weaponry that gives them the luxury of just throwing Maye to the wolves.
Not that I agree with that, but the Patriots play in the AFC East with three other playoff contenders: the Bills, Dolphins, and Jets. This New England team is nowhere near being ready to compete with those teams and seems to be taking the long view with their approach to team building. In my opinion, starting Brissett just delays the Pats from seeing what they have with Maye. But my money's on Brissett's being the Week 1 starter barring some major preseason development from Maye.
Winner: Jacoby Brissett
Jonathon Brooks vs. Chuba Hubbard, RB - Carolina Panthers
Miles Sanders was supposed to be the answer to the Panthers running back position in the post-Christian McCaffrey world, but Hubbard soundly outplayed him last season. Entering 2024, Sanders is a distant third in the pecking order at running back for Carolina.
#KeepPounding Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks will likely see a seismic rise in ADP if he’s cleared to begin training camp
Brooks is a complete three-down back who will make life easier for Bryce Young. Forget 2023, I’m expecting this offense to be much improved under HC Dave Canales pic.twitter.com/mgDnRIsuxg
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) July 12, 2024
This season, there's a new challenger for Hubbard as the Panthers spent a second-round pick on Texas running back Jonathon Brooks. In a different world, this wouldn't be a competition, as Brooks has the talent to easily claim the starting role.
But in this world, Brooks is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November and is currently on the active/non-football injury list, which is going to put him a bit behind the eight ball and give Hubbard the leg up early in the season.
Despite that, I view Brooks winning this job once he's cleared to play, whether that be in training camp, preseason, or early in the 2024 regular season. He was an electric player with the Longhorns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry in 2023 and scoring 10 touchdowns. Hubbard may technically win the job if Brooks isn't at 100% yet, but a healthy Brooks is Carolina's best back.
Winner: Jonathon Brooks
Gus Edwards vs. J.K. Dobbins, RB - Los Angeles Chargers
A pair of former Baltimore Ravens teammates are now battling for the starting running back role in Los Angeles.
Edwards winning this job is the expected outcome here. He's a productive runner between the tackles and doesn't carry the same injury concerns as Dobbins, who has played just nine games over the past three seasons. Dobbins is more explosive when healthy, but Edwards and his durability are more of a sure thing at this point, and the track record of running backs coming back from a torn Achilles isn't a good one.
The Chargers have stripped their receiver room for parts, so the team will rely heavily on its run game this season. That should lead to plenty of opportunities for both players, so while Edwards wins out, a healthy Dobbins won't be too far behind in touches.
Winner: Gus Edwards, but will be mostly a split backfield
The Buffalo Bills Wide Receivers
I think it's safe to say that second-round rookie Keon Coleman is going to start at wide receiver for the Bills at some point, even if he's not fully ready to take over that role in Week 1. With the departure of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, the Bills enter 2024 with the following non-Coleman options: Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Chase Claypool, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins, K.J. Hamler, and Andy Isabella.
Yikes, right? You can see why I have hope with Coleman, a second-round pick out of Florida State, who caught 11 touchdowns last season. His athleticism should make him an immediate impact player for the Bills.
But what about the rest of the roster? In 11-personnel, who will join Coleman on the field? There's also the conundrum of the Bills' tight end situation featuring Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. Will Kincaid play more in the slot or as an in-line tight end?
Shakir seems the most likely to play in the slot. He's the only returning receiver on this roster, so his familiarity with quarterback Josh Allen should keep him on the field. Shakir caught 39 passes for 611 yards last season for the Bills.
That third spot though? It feels like it's very up for grabs. Ultimately, it should be viewed as a battle between Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The 5-foot-11 Samuel is a little undersized for the role and makes more sense in the slot, fighting for snaps with Shakir, but the slot is very crowded at the moment.
Ultimately, that leaves Valdes-Scantling as the best option to play on the outside. MVS has drop concerns, but he can get open down the field, which is a skill that will come in handy with Allen's deep ball prowess and arm strength. MVS just has to make sure he catches the ball, which was sometimes an issue in KC.
Winner: Keon Coleman, with Khalil Shakir and Marquez Valdes-Scantling playing the most of the other players.
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