Training camps around the NFL are starting up. Football is back, and there is excitement in the air. In the world of fantasy football some position battles are fairly settled, while others remain up in the air. I have 6 training camp storylines that could change fantasy football.
1. Miami Dolphins Pass Catchers
The Miami Dolphins went through a big turnover on the offensive side of the ball in this offseason. Tua Tagovailoa left the Dolphins and is now with the Atlanta Falcons. To counter this loss, the Dolphins signed quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million contract.
This alone is huge news for the Dolphins’ aerial attack, but things didn’t stop there. Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill had a gruesome knee injury early last season. Ten months later there are reports that he still has no power in that leg. He is currently a free agent. Former 6th overall pick Jaylen Waddle was also traded to the Denver Broncos this offseason for a 2026 first-round pick, 2026 third-round pick and 2026 fourth-round pick.
Miami’s pass-catching situation has changed drastically. To counter the losses of their star receivers the Dolphins keyed in on the wide receiver position in the NFL draft. The following receivers were taken by the Miami Dolphins in the 2026 NFL Draft:
Caleb Douglas: Round 3, pick 75 overall
Chris Bell: Round 3, pick 94 overall
Kevin Coleman Jr: Round 5, pick 177 overall
These three receivers have very different skillsets. At 6’4” and 205 pounds Caleb Douglas is your typical big-bodied wide receiver. Douglas has top-end speed, but his tape shows struggles with consistently being a deep threat. He has a hard time creating the space to do so. The Dolphins picked him high enough to make him a relevant piece to follow.
Wide receiver Chris Bell was projected to be the more established and higher touted player. Bell likely dropped because of the ACL tear that he is recovering from, but his upside is that of a WR1 or WR2 (most likely a WR2). Recovering from his knee injury will likely lead to a slow start and he could be a better dynasty selection than redraft selection this season.
Kevin Coleman was a late-round selection and is a long shot to make any real impact. He is a smaller receiver that lacks elite speed. Coleman will be in the rotation as a slot receiver.
In the offseason there has been a lot of chatter around tight end Greg Dulcich and his chemistry with quarterback Malik Willis. This pass catching unit is one to watch during the preseason. All these players have a chance to step up and play a big role in the Dolphins receiving game. Does one of these players separate from the pack? Do the Dolphins sign a veteran that could play a bigger role? Keep an eye on this situation throughout training camp.
2. Chicago Bears Pass Catchers
This group is a little more well-known. After last year’s showing. Former 1st overall pick (Caleb Williams) will return as the quarterback for the Bears and returns with what appears to be a plethora of options to throw to. Former first-round pick Rome Odunze entered the league with Caleb Williams, and he was thought to have the upside of a true star in the league. His start to last season was amazing as he averaged 19.9 fantasy points per game in the first four weeks. However, production dropped drastically throughout the rest of the season.
Last year’s first-round pick Colston Loveland had a slow start to the season, but the back half of the season was phenomenal. He averaged 14.25 points in the last 10 games of the season. He and Caleb Williams really seem to have a connection.
Last year’s second-round pick Luther Burden really didn’t come on until the last quarter of the season last year. However, in the last four games he averaged 15.18 points per game.
These three players are all going within 20 picks of one another in consensus rankings. This battle for targets is one that I will be following closely through the offseason. If any of these players start to be favored over the other their rankings could change.
3. Continue To Monitor Players’ Health
There were several injuries last season that need to continue to be monitored going into your fantasy football drafts. Players like George Kittle, Tucker Kraft, Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers are just a few people to keep an eye on. Monitor their status as training camp goes on and adjust accordingly. Are they set to be ready for Week 1? Do they hit any setbacks? Along with monitoring players that are coming off injury make sure that you keep up with any new injuries that occur over the preseason.
4. New Orleans Saints Running Game
This offseason the New Orleans Saints made a big move and signed free agent Travis Etienne. Alvin Kamara has been the big piece to the New Orleans Saints run game, but he is now 31 years old, and he is coming off a season where his fantasy output dropped to 9.2 points per game in a PPR league.
Kamara isn’t getting any younger and he is coming off a down year, but over his 10-year career he has still averaged 18.6 points per game in PPR leagues. Meanwhile, Etienne is coming off a season where he averaged 14.9 points per game and has averaged 13.2 points per game through his 4-year career.
Etienne is the younger running back at 27 years old and he is expected to take more of the load, but I am going to be watching this battle in training camp. How much of a split could this become? Can both players hold value this season? Does one player break away and leave the other only as a situational option.
5. Green Bay Packers Receiving Battle
The Green Bay Packers have been looking for a receiver to truly emerge ever since the departure of Davante Adams. Romeo Doubs left for New England this offseason, but there is still a battle to be had between Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden.
Christian Watson has shown some promise over his 4-year career, but he hasn’t been able to keep up any consistency in his numbers. His consistent injuries have not helped. In the last 10 games of the season last year Watson had four games in which he scored over 18 fantasy points in a PPR league. However, during the same span he also had 5 games in which he scored under 10 points. The talent is there but more consistency is needed to make him a weekly fantasy option.
Matthew Golden was the first-round pick for the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 NFL Draft. He had a very slow start to his career averaging only 5.0 points per game last year, however, with his skill set he could blow up in year two. Also, being a first-round pick, the Packers will likely look to make sure he has plenty of opportunity to prove himself. The big question is if Golden can be a consistent receiver all over the field. He is known for being a receiver that can run the full route tree. The Packers should be able to move him all over the field and give him plenty of opportunities to grow.
Jayden Reed was a second-round pick by the Packers in the 2023 NFL draft. He has had a couple of seasons with fair fantasy numbers but has yet to make a huge fantasy impact. All three of these receivers will be battling in camp, but the question is, does any one of them break away from the pack, or do they just share the load? There is talent there for one of them to make a big impact, but if the reps are split it is more likely that their ceilings are WR2s or flex plays.
6. Denver Broncos Running Back Competition
The running back situation in Denver is a big question mark right now. Consensus rankings have last year’s 2nd round pick (R.J. Harvey) as the leading candidate for the job. However, there is some competition in that backfield. Running back J.K. Dobbins was brought back on a two-year contract. They also drafted one of the better running backs in the class in Jonah Coleman with their fourth-round pick.
J.K. Dobbins began last season as the starter and had a pretty good season before suffering a season-ending foot surgery in week 10. Dobbins had double-digit points in 6 of his 10 games last season. Harvey averaged 12.2 fantasy points per game compared to J.K. Dobbins’ 11.6, but those numbers are heavily skewed by opportunity. It was more of a split backfield when both players were healthy, but when Dobbins got hurt Harvey took over.
When it comes to points, Harvey put up some big numbers in Dobbins’ absence, but it was very much based on volume. R.J. Harvey averaged 3.7 yards per carry last year, while Dobbins averaged 5.0. This is more of a competition than consensus rankings are making it seem and It’s entirely possible that Dobbins could get a bigger workload than Harvey.
To compound this problem, rookie running back Jonah Coleman is no slouch at the position. He could make his presence felt in this backfield. Continue to monitor this competition to see if there is more clarity on who is leading this backfield by the time you draft in your redraft leagues.
These are the situations that I feel are most pressing to watch as fantasy football managers going into your redraft fantasy football league drafts. However, it is important to scan the league as there are always other battles and even surprises that can happen as players surpass others on the depth charts. A couple other battles to watch will be the running back battle in Jacksonville between Bayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez as well as the running back competition in Tennessee between Tony Pollard, Tajae Spears, and Nicholas Singleton.
Training camp is on the way, football is back, and the competition will be fierce. This is where your run for a fantasy football title begins. The knowledge you gain now is what great drafts are built on. So, I encourage you to keep up with news and ensure you get the value pick in these position battles.
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