As of Monday evening, the Broncos hadn't named their Week 1 starting QB. Even presumed backups Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson probably know it'll be rookie Bo Nix. Officially it remains one of the few remaining fantasy-relevant depth chart battles. Unofficially we're waiting for the seemingly obvious.
There are still some *potentially* fantasy-relevant depth chart battles awaiting closure. I discussed Russell Wilson and Justin Fields yesterday, and while neither is expected to be a weekly fantasy starter, I still love Fields' massive upside if he wins the job. That's not the case with the Patriots, where Drake Maye and/or Jacoby Brissett will inherit one of the league's least experienced receiving corps. It might not matter who wins.
On Sunday Gardner Minshew (QB34 ADP) beat out Aidan O'Connell (QB35 ADP) to become the Raiders' Week 1 starter. As subscribers know, I've ignored their ADPs all summer, ranking Minshew about 50 spots ahead of his overall ADP and O'Connell about 25 spots below his own overall ADP. In other words, some Superflexers and Best Baller netted terrific value by snagging Minshew at a bargain-basement price. Not that Minshew is a good bet to finish in the top 20. But a starter's a starter in leagues where every starter is drafted.
At running back, 8-to-10 teams have toss-up backfields, or something close to it. By "toss-up" I mean it's really difficult to figure out which RB will score the most fantasy points. From Washington (Brian Robinson vs. Austin Ekeler) to Tennessee (Tony Pollard to Tyjae Spears) to Dallas (Zeke Elliott vs. Rico Dowdle), we probably won't know who has a long-term edge until Week 2 or 3. The Lions should be able to keep feeding both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. But it's anyone's guess with the Chargers (Gus Edwards vs. J.K. Dobbins) and Bengals (Zack Moss vs. Chase Brown).
And then there are the confusing backfields in Cleveland (how much run will Nick Chubb get when healthy?), Carolina (same question re: Jonathon Brooks), and Pittsburgh (will Jaylen Warren's hamstring injury propel Najee Harris to a stable 1A role?). Miami also brings plenty of chaos, with rookie (sensation?) Jaylen Wright and Raheem Mostert weighing down on De'Von Achane's otherwise incredible ceiling.
At wideout, there are many battles for the #2 WR job. Maybe not officially, but certainly in fantasy. Can Michael Wilson be the clear-cut #2 in Arizona over Zay Jones? Same with Atlanta's Darnell Mooney, Baltimore's Rashod Bateman, Cleveland's Jerry Jeudy, and Jacksonville's Brian Thomas. And will Jaxon Smith-Njigba overtake Tyler Lockett? I've strongly believed he will all summer, though we won't have a clear understanding until after everyone's drafted.
Then there are the WR trios that . . . well, who knows what'll happen. From Buffalo to Green Bay to Houston, we're betting on a great receiver serving as his team's *best* receiver. I generally steer clear of those bets. The Chargers and Patriots have their own version, though with much lower stakes. And Chicago is fascinating because D.J. Moore is accustomed to being the alpha, so we can't just assume he'll remain the alpha with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze in town.
What's your most important depth chart battle, and how do you think it'll go down?
---