2026 Training Camp Battles that will Decide Fantasy Championships

by Edward DeLauter · Featured
2026 Training Camp Battles

Summer training camp battles are heating up! Here are five camp battles that fantasy managers should continue to monitor that will eventually decide fantasy championships.

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You’ll Want to Get Whoever Wins These Battles

Carolina Panthers Backfield | Chuba Hubbard vs. Jonathon Brooks

The Jonathon Brooks hype train is traveling at Mach 5. Brooks is reported to be splitting first-team reps and showing off some great rushing instincts at training camp. With Brooks fully recovered from a twice-torn ACL he sustained in college as well as his rookie year, the Panthers appear eager to get him on the field. Head coach Dave Canales is very happy with the speed he is seeing from Brooks on the field.

Like Jackie Wilson and your love, Brooks’ ADP keeps soaring higher and higher. Immediately after the NFL draft, Brooks was a late 11th-Round pick on Underdog. He is now going less than a round behind Chuba Hubbard in ADP. On DraftKings, the ADP flip has already occurred, as Brooks goes almost one round earlier than Hubbard on that platform.

While Brooks’ lack of NFL production thus far is a red flag for his future NFL success, he is someone to prioritize in drafts, as the ADP split between him and Hubbard remains close.

Pittsburgh Steelers Backfield | Jaylen Warren vs. Rico Dowdle

The news out of Steelers training camp is a mixed bag. Jaylen Warren is listed ahead of Rico Dowdle on the initial depth chart. However, Dowdle has displayed “quickness, speed, vision, and power” throughout camp, with some Steelers’ beat reporters speculating that he may be the unquestioned RB1 once the season starts.

Warren is coming off the best season of his career after averaging 13.6 fantasy points per game. His fantasy production was in large part due to a career-high eight combined touchdowns. Dowdle is also coming off the best season of his career; however, unlike Warren, Dowdle has strung together two consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

At present, Warren is roughly two rounds more expensive in ADP. If you are drafting now, you should prioritize Dowdle over Warren, as these ADPs are likely to converge as the preseason continues.

Washington Commanders Backfield | Rachaad White vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Recent reports out of Commanders camps suggest that Jacory Croskey-Merritt is flashing an ability as a receiver out of the backfield. His teammate Rachaad White was signed in part by the Commanders to provide receiving stability out of the backfield. JCM caught a total of just nine passes last season, a total that White more than quadrupled last year.

If JCM can secure a role as a pass catcher, he would have an inside track to take over as the Commanders’ bell cow potentially. White is a little less than a round higher ADP on both Underdog and DraftKings.

I would still select White in a full PPR format; however, prioritizing Merritt in half-point formats would be the prudent move, as both players’ ADPs continue to run side by side.

Jacksonville Jaguars Top Wide Receiver | Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Parker Washington

It is hard to tell what Liam Cohen likes more: the smell of his own farts or Parker Washington. At seemingly any available moment, Cohen has been heaping praise on the former Round 6 pick. He appears to be a priority for the Jaguars offense and is noted not to be coming off the field much during camp.

Brian Thomas Jr. has also gotten some hype, looking to some as a different wide receiver than he played in 2025. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence recently spoke about all of his receivers, and his comments suggest that he views Washington as the most versatile.

Thomas Jr. and Washington’s ADPs are mirrored at this point, with each sporting a 62.5 on Underdog. Based on the smoke signals coming out of camp regarding how the Jaguars plan to use Washington, sharp managers are prioritizing him over Johnson in drafts, after Washington outproduced the latter last season.

Odds are he will do it again this year, and the market has finally caught up. Washington’s ADP will likely overtake BTJ’s in hours, not days.

Chicago Bears Top Wide Receiver | Luther Burden vs. Rome Odunze

Bears head coach Ben Johnson has had nothing but praise for Luther Burden III this offseason. He has explicitly stated that he views Burden as a similar player to Amon-Ra St. Brown. It appears that if Johnson had his way, Burden would be a perennial top-5 fantasy wide receiver like Brown in his offense.

Rome Odunze recently clarified some comments about his prior foot injury, stating that he, in fact, feels “amazing”.

It’s easy to view Odunze as a nice arbitrage play in the Bears offense considering he is about a round and a half cheaper than Burden. However, it’s hard to ignore Johnson’s incessant pounding of the table regarding Burden’s upside in this offense.

At the end of the day, both receivers can hit at their respective ADPs just as St. Brown and Jameson Williams hit during Johnson’s time in Detroit. Taking Burden is a true swing-for-the-fences way to approach drafts, which is ok to do from time to time. Both players make for fine selections at ADP.



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