Biggest Running Back Training Camp Battles For 2026 Fantasy Football

Every year in the Fantasy Alarm Draft Guide, we include a tool called the Running Back Questionnaire. In this article, we take the running back position and break it down into the five key parts of the role: starter, pass downs, goal line, two-minute drill, and late lead. For some teams, the same running back handles all five duties. For others, the job is split among multiple players. And for many teams, the RB training camp battles will determine who does what - and who we like for fantasy football. 

As we know in fantasy football, not all parts of the role are created equally. That can be said for different formats as well, like with PPR vs. standard formats. So it’s crucial for us to see who is winning these RB battles for fantasy football to make sure our guys are getting the highest-leverage opportunities possible. The more of those a guy is getting, the higher he will likely be in our fantasy football rankings.

Biggest RB Camp Battles For Fantasy Football

Per our NFL 2026 Offseason Schedule Tracker, OTAs for all teams are currently underway. In fact, some of them are already over. So we have a basic idea of what the fantasy football RB battles will look like, though the real action usually happens at NFL training camp. For now, let’s dive into where the RB battles are shaping up for fantasy football so that we know the key players and we can monitor them accordingly. And, if you want to know our early leans, the 2026 Fantasy Alarm Best Ball Cheat Sheet has every back ranked based on where we are willing to take them. But the RB battles that happen over the course of the summer will almost certainly continue to change those rankings, so make sure you check back periodically for the updated version!

Washington Commanders RB Training Camp Battle

Last year, there was a lot of hype around Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (AKA Bill). And he had about as good a season as we ever saw from seventh-round rookies. But he did lose starting duties down the stretch to Chris Rodriguez. Rodriguez was signed by the Jaguars this offseason, and Austin Ekeler is gone, so a new battle for running back snaps and touches is set to take place in Washington.

In free agency, the Commanders went out and signed both Rachaad White and Jerome Ford. White not only has pass-catching chops, but he has a nose for the end zone - he and Sean Tucker split the goal line carries for the Buccaneers virtually evenly last year. They also drafted rookie Kaytron Allen, who was the front half of a split with Nick Singleton at Penn State last year. This summer, they will hash it out to see who does what for this Commander’s team. 

Why This Matters for Fantasy Football

Commanders running back coach Anthony Lynn has liked a split backfield going back to his time with the Chargers. If that’s the case here, it sets the stage for a battle of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Kaytron Allen, and possibly also Rachaad White for early work with Rachaad White, Jerome Ford, and incumbent Jeremy McNichols battling for pass-down work. Starting backs in the NFL are usually relevant in all formats, while pass-down backs can be useful in PPR formats. Commanders OTAs start back up next week, so make sure to check back in regularly to our NFL Offseason Practice Tracker, where we will continue to update the key dates for training camp, joint practices, etc., as those are announced. We will be monitoring this situation closely to see who might be getting the upper hand. 

Pittsburgh Steelers RB Training Camp Battle

Jaylen Warren is an interesting character in this league. At one point, he was the pass-down back while Najee Harris was the early down back, registering 74 targets in 2023. Last year, he was actually the early down back while Kenneth Gainwell skewed more towards pass down - that saw him get 211 carries, the most he’s ever had by over 50. Now the Steelers have brought in Rico Dowdle, another capable two-way back, which has us wondering what that means for Warren now.

Per early comments by Steelers running back coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr., the Steelers might just rotate the two backs evenly. He added that Mike McCarthy wants “two fresh backs” at all times and suggested that “equal time on the field” is in play. But he also suggested that the scheme they plan to highlight each week could skew the workload one way or another. The totality of the comments does leave things a bit vague.  

Why This Matters for Fantasy Football

In recent years, Aaron Rodgers has leaned on his backs in the passing game, as he does not seem to want to hold onto the football at his age. The Steelers actually threw the second most passes to the running back position last year behind only the 49ers. Jaylen Warren has a history of catching the football, but Mike McCarthy also worked with Rico Dowdle in Dallas, so it’s clear he was made a priority by the coach. This could be an even split, but at their ADPs, that could actually be fine for fantasy - and it comes with the contingent upside of a possible injury. Check out our 2026 Best Ball Cheat Sheet to see where we are willing to take either player. 

Jacksonville Jaguars RB Training Camp Battle

This is a big one right here. Sometimes we have camp battles going on with bad offenses where the upside isn’t particularly special. In this case, we have a team that just won 13 games, and their starting running back, Travis Etienne, just finished as a top 10 back in fantasy football. Now that Etienne has left in free agency for the New Orleans Saints, the door is open for someone to step up. 

In free agency, they signed Chris Rodriguez, who has experience playing for Liam Coen in college. But we also just received word that he’s out of OTAs with a mysterious foot injury. They have the explosive second-year player Bhayshul Tuten on the roster as well as LeQuint Allen, who was their most trusted pass blocker last year. The stage is set for a showdown this summer. 

Why This Matters for Fantasy Football

Chris Rodriguez is not much of a pass-catcher. In fact, he has only had six receptions over three seasons. So, in an ideal world, Bhayshul Tuten just wins the job and is an every-down player. That said, we have warned about the Appeal To Consequences Fallacy in our List of Fantasy Football Fallacies. Yes, one outcome would be ideal, but the world doesn’t always work that way, and it could simply be a split between all three backs. If that’s the case, and Chris Rodriquez (or LeQuint Allen) gets the higher-leverage work for fantasy football like goal line, perhaps they will be the better value. And they are drafted a lot cheaper. Hopefully, we get some answers via the training camp battles so we aren’t left guessing. 

Seattle Seahawks RB Training Camp Battle

Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker left in free agency. Zach Charbonnett suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs, so he’s set to miss time. With last year’s two veterans out of the picture early on, that opens the door for a new face to get the starting gig for Week One. And we’ve seen many occasions where a player gets an opportunity and runs with it to great fantasy football success.

In free agency, the Seahawks added veteran Emmanuel Wilson, who filled in admirably behind Josh Jacobs during his time in Green Bay. They also used their first draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft at pick number 32 on running back Jadarian Price. Not only do they have Zach Charbonnett returning, but George Holani is still there after contributing down the stretch last season for Seattle. 

Why This Matters for Fantasy Football

In an interesting twist, it was actually George Holani who came out with the first team at the most recent OTA practices. He mixed in with Jadarian Price with that unit. Per our Offseason Schedule Tracker, they just wrapped OTAs, so that’s likely the last bit of news we will get for a while. That doesn’t necessarily rule out Emmanuel Wilson for pass-down work, but if you are rooting for the rookie, it’s at least promising to hear that he’s working with the first team unit already. But the real news is that George Holani is getting a serious look, as many had already written him off in this battle. So that’s something we’ll be paying close attention to.  

New England Patriots RB Training Camp Battle

Last year, there was quite a bit of hype surrounding rookie TreVeyon Henderson. And we got to see glimpses of that, especially during the stretch of games when Rhamondre Stevenson was out. When Stevenson was healthy, however, Henderson struggled to carve out a meaningful role of his own.

The way this backfield played out was a tale as old as time in NFL backfields. And the story was pass-blocking. The short and sweet of it is that Rhamondre Stevenson was one of the best backs in the league in this facet while Henderson graded out towards the bottom. If you can’t get on the field for those snaps, especially knowing all the audibles and assignments, crucial fantasy football moments like the two-minute drill are off the table. 

Why This Matters for Fantasy Football

Lions superstar Jahmyr Gibbs famously also graded out poorly as a rookie in pass-blocking. And that saw David Montgomery taking some of that work along with the goalline. Henderson suffered a similar fate, but Gibbs proved simply too good to keep off the field. That’s what you are hoping for from Henderson, but it wouldn’t hurt if we hear some news this summer that his pass-blocking has improved. If that is the case, he will shoot up our Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings as the Patriots were already one of the hottest up-and-coming teams before trading for AJ Brown. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Tennessee Titans

Tony Pollard likely did enough to save his job down the stretch last year. That’s evidenced by them not moving on from him despite a fairly easy option to do so in his contract. Still, Tyjae Spears is there to steal some pass work, and rookie Nick Singleton will have an eye on the future, so we’ll be keeping our own eye on this battle. 

Denver Broncos

Bringing back last year’s starter in free agency likely means JK Dobbins is going to start. But perhaps RJ Harvey can take a leap in his second year and take over. They also now have fourth round rookie Jonah Coleman in the mix as well. JK Dobbins also has a pretty tough injury history, so you want to be familiar with the backups.

Chicago Bears

D’Andre Swift played well last year, but injuries opened the door to more snaps for Kyle Monangai. Can the young up-and-comer force even more of a split - or possibly take over the early downs with Swift relegated to pass downs? It’s worth monitoring for news coming out of the Illinois/Indiana area.

Minnesota Vikings

Veteran Aaron Jones has been the preferred option. But he’s had shoulder and hamstring issues for a few years now, so last year, they leaned on bruiser Jordan Mason some. They also took a late shot on rookie Demond Claiborne, so he’s a name to know.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucky Irving is probably the starter. But he’s dealing with shoulder issues that have plagued him for almost a year now. They paid up for Kenneth Gainwell, who is a great pass-catcher, but Sean Tucker also contributed in the short-yardage world last year. The health of Irving will be crucial. 

Houston Texans

The Texans made a move for bruiser David Montgomery, who even the Lions admitted deserves a bigger role. But he’s getting up there in age, and Woody Marks flashed at times in 2025. We still don’t know what this split is going to look like in 2026.