With rosters on the verge of being finalized over the coming weeks, teams have difficult decisions ahead. What transpires across all 32 teams over the next month will have significant fantasy implications. While some of these training camp battles won't directly affect fantasy starters, understanding depth charts and identifying valuable handcuffs -- especially at running back -- can make all the difference. Here are some of the most notable situations to monitor.

Jaguars Backfield

With Travis Etienne now in New Orleans, Jacksonville's RB1 role is up for grabs. Second-year back Bhayshul Tuten and newly signed free agent Chris Rodriguez Jr. will battle for the starting job. Tuten is coming off a respectable, albeit slightly inefficient, rookie campaign. He averaged just 3.7 yards per carry but still found the end zone seven times.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez set a new career high in touches last year (115) with the Commanders, but he's been virtually nonexistent in the passing game with a grand total of six career receptions. What makes Rodriguez especially intriguing is his connection with Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen. The duo worked together at the University of Kentucky, where Coen served as offensive coordinator. Rodriguez rushed for 1,379 yards that season for the Wildcats. Rodriguez (foot) has avoided the PUP list and will begin camp doing individual work.

It's worth noting that second-year back LeQuint Allen has also been mentioned in the competition. Not long ago, Coen described the battle between the three as "truly wide open." This is one of the more intriguing backfield battles to monitor throughout camp.

Vikings Backfield

Throughout his career, we've learned two things about Aaron Jones: when he's on the field, he's one of the league's most explosive backs, and he's struggled to stay healthy.

Jones has an extensive injury history dating back to his early days in Green Bay. Just last year, he was sidelined for five games. Even beyond that injury history, the fact that he's now 31 years old only adds to the durability concerns. It's also worth noting that Jones was widely considered a cut candidate before restructuring his contract with Minnesota.

With Jones missing significant time last season, Jordan Mason finished as the Vikings' leading rusher. He ran for 758 yards while averaging an impressive 4.8 yards per carry, though he wasn't much of a factor as a receiver (14-51-0). Jones still projects to handle most of the passing-down work, but Mason should carve out a meaningful role on the ground. Given Mason's efficiency as a runner and Jones' lengthy injury history, it's not impossible that Mason earns an even larger role -- or overtakes Jones if injuries strike again.

Panthers Backfield

Chuba Hubbard is expected to open the season atop Carolina's depth chart. With that said, Hubbard saw a dip in efficiency last season and even temporarily lost his role to Rico Dowdle after returning from injury.

In Jonathon Brooks' case, the Panthers have yet to see meaningful contributions from their former second-round pick. Heading into his third season, Brooks has logged only nine career rushing attempts.

Carolina's training camp officially began last week, and Brooks is already generating positive reviews. Head coach Dave Canales recently said, "He feels great. He feels strong. He looks fast; he looks like the guy that I remember, and I'm really excited for that."

The most likely outcome is a relatively even split between the two backs early in the season, but Brooks offers significant upside if he proves he's fully healthy and earns a larger workload as the year progresses.

Who Will Back Up Christian McCaffrey?

Like Aaron Jones, Christian McCaffrey comes with injury concerns of his own. In addition to his lengthy injury history, McCaffrey handled a whopping 413 touches during last year's regular season alone. History suggests running backs coming off workloads of that magnitude often experience regression the following season. Anyone who drafted McCaffrey in 2024 probably still remembers how that season unfolded. With injury concerns looming once again, identifying San Francisco's primary backup is critical.

As of yesterday, Jordan James opened training camp as the team's RB2. James was selected in the fifth round of last year's draft but didn't log a regular-season carry. With Brian Robinson Jr. out of town and Isaac Guerendo on the PUP list to begin camp, James has every opportunity to establish himself as McCaffrey's primary backup.

Also in the mix is San Francisco's third-round rookie, Kaelon Black. Early reports out of OTAs highlighted the rookie's impressive pass-catching ability and physical running style. That receiving skill set is especially valuable in San Francisco's offense, where McCaffrey has long been a major part of the passing game. While James is getting the first opportunity to secure the backup role, Black still has a chance to overtake him, making this another situation worth watching throughout camp.

Dolphins Wide Receivers

Outside of Malik Washington, Miami enters training camp with one of the thinnest wide receiver groups in the league. Looking at the depth chart, there isn't a clear-cut WR1.

To begin camp, the leading candidates appear to be veterans Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert. The Dolphins also added rookie receiver Chris Bell (ACL) in the third round of this year's draft, but he's currently on the non-football injury list. Rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr., along with veteran Tutu Atwell, are also in the mix.

Multiple positive reports out of OTAs and mandatory minicamp identified Washington as one of the team's standouts, and he's the early favorite to lead the team in targets. Still, training camp will go a long way toward sorting out the rest of this depth chart. The third-year receiver totaled 47 receptions for 317 yards and three touchdowns last season. Newly signed quarterback Malik Willis will need Washington to take another step forward if Miami's offense is going to have much success.

Honorable Mention

Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy

Despite acquiring former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray in free agency, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell insists he'll compete with third-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy for the starting job. There would be genuine surprise around the league if Murray doesn't win the job, but O'Connell has repeatedly insisted McCarthy remains firmly in the competition. Even if the outcome feels inevitable, it's still a storyline worth monitoring as camp unfolds.

Kevin O'Connell says both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will take reps with the first-team and second-team offense, as expected.

They're looking to see who can elevate those around them and run the offense with comfort.

� Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) July 28, 2026

Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.

With a new coaching staff in place, former first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. enters camp with a much shorter leash. That became evident when Atlanta signed former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in free agency. Penix has flashed at times early in his career, but he hasn't produced consistently enough to eliminate questions about his long-term outlook. Tua, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing season but has put up impressive numbers in previous years.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to Penix's chances of retaining the starting job is his health. He suffered an ACL tear last November and has yet to be cleared for full contact. As things stand, Tua is expected to receive the first opportunity under center. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has already praised Tua's accuracy, and if Penix cedes a significant number of practice reps during camp, it won't bode well for his chances of holding onto the starting job.