NFL training camps are right around the corner. For teams, this marks the start of implementing play calls and design. Figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of the team. For fantasy managers, it’s a time to watch specific positional battles to see who will be coming out ahead and if that player is worth rostering for the 2025 season. We break down the top quarterback training camp battles to be aware of.
Quarterback Training Camp Battles
Russell Wilson vs Jaxson Dart- New York Giants
The Giants had a puzzling offseason. First the re-signed Tommy DeVito, then signed Jameis Winston. It The just a few days later that they signed Russell Wilson to seemingly be the starter. They went ahead and traded up to select Jaxson Dart in the first round.
Russell Wilson: Wilson comes in with all the experience on his side. Even in his 14th season, Wilson has the skills to win games. He might not be the fantasy darling he once was. Wilson only threw 16 touchdowns last season in 11 games. He hasn’t been a top 12 quarterback for fantasy since 2020.
Jaxson Dart: Dart is the hot newness. The Giants not only drafted him but traded up to get him despite having Wilson, Winston, and DeVito. The Giants had other needs to fill and used that capital to get Dart instead. Dart is a very solid passer. In his four college seasons, he threw two fewer touchdowns than Wilson did while being a pro during the same time. That is with Dart playing fewer games.
Likely Outcome
The Giants need to win or at least show signs of life for head coach Brian Daboll to keep his job. I expect it is Wilson’s job to lose and will play well enough not to lose it, at least in camp. Does that mean Wilson will be the starter all year? Probably not. The lack of upside for Wilson will always leave the door open for Dart. The Giants have a Week 14 bye, so that would be the most likely switch unless they are in playoff contention. Wilson was able to lead the Steelers to a playoff berth last season, and the Giants are hoping he can do the same. I don’t think he can, so I expect Dart to play the tail end of the season.
Fantasy impact
I don’t think it matters much for fantasy. Malik Nabers was good no matter who was throwing the ball last season, and will continue that this year. Whether that’s Wilson or Dart, Nabers is locked in as a top ten option. I don’t think either Wilson or Dart has fantasy value outside of Superflex leagues. Even in those, they are low-end players. Wilson only had four games with over 20 points last season, so the upside isn’t there.
If Dart were to secure the starting job early in the season, he would be an interesting play. He has some rushing upside, similar to Bo Nix. Currently, with Dart looking to be holding the clipboard for most, if not all, the season, it’s hard to roster him unless camp changes that. I would pick him up in Week 12 or so as the bye week looms, and a switch could happen.
Daniel Jones vs Anthony Richardson- Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been looking for their franchise guy ever since Andrew Luck shockingly retired back in 2019. After years of a single-season veteran signing, the Colts thought they had locked up the new face of the franchise when they drafted Anthony Richardson 4th overall in 2023. Now, with former Giant Daniel Jones on the roster, there seem to be some questions about who will and should be the starter for the Colts
Anthony Richardson: Richardson has plenty of upside. He has the size and athleticism to be a dominant quarterback in the NFL. Two issues are haunting him. One is is lack of experience. Richardson still has yet to attempt over 1000 passes between his college and pro career. The second is his injury history. Richardson only played four games in his rookie season and then 11 the following year. Even now, he is dealing with a shoulder injury. It is reported that rest is all he needs, but with his play style, one hit could further damage it and require surgery.
Daniel Jones: Jones hasn’t always made the most out of the opportunities given to him. After a solid rookie season, he failed to succeed much after that. Outside of 2022, Jones hasn’t been much of anything. Even that year, it was his rushing ability that allowed him to score so many points. After being benched and then cut by the New York Giants last year, he now gets a chance to reinvent himself.
Likely Outcome
At this point, it’s a toss-up. Jones is getting the leg up while he gets reps in OTAs and probably the start of training camp, while Richardson rests his shoulder. Either way, whoever has the starting job will be looking over their shoulder every game. Neither Richardson nor Jones has done well under the pressure. Richardson has a huge injury risk, and Jones hasn’t exactly been the model of health either. If Richardson is healthy, I expect him to be the starter. The Colts invest a ton in him and want him to be the guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see weekly reports of the other being considered. It happened last year with Richardson and Flacco.
Fantasy Impact
I want the Colts’ starting quarterback. Richardson has the higher rushing upside, but Jones isn’t a statue back there. The Colts invested this year in tight end Tyler Warren to give their quarterback another weapon after Michael Pittman. The Colts will likely be playing from behind, so passing will be on the menu more. I love Pittman at his low value. Warren remains less then appealing given the lack of use of the tight end position in Colts history.
Whoever is back there will be a low-end streaming option in single-quarterback leagues due to the rushing upside. Keep an eye on training camp and draft whichever has the upper hand heading into preseason. If you are drafting super early, I would scoop up Jones late as a third option. If he starts, you just gained a ton of value. If he doesn’t, it’s an easy drop to pick up another skill position.
Joe Flacco vs Dillon Gabriel vs Shedeur Sanders- Cleveland Browns
The saying goes, “if you have two quarterbacks, then you have none,” but maybe having three or four maybe you can find one. The shoot-from-the-hip approach seems to be what the Cleveland Browns are attempting this year. Despite still paying Deshaun Watson a ton of money, who will miss all of 2025 with an injury, the Browns went out and signed Joe Flacco, traded for Kenny Pickett, and then drafted both Dillon Gabriel (3rd round) and Shedeur Sanders (5th round). It remains one of the most intriguing quarterback rooms headed into training camp.
Joe Flacco: Flacco is a solid veteran. He is well past his prime, but good enough to win games and, more importantly, not lose you games. His magical run with the Browns back in 2023 showed everyone that. Flacco spent last year splitting time with Anthony Richardson for the Colts and now looks to be magical once again in the rock and roll capital of the world.
Dillon Gabriel: Gabriel was a polarizing prospect heading into the draft. Despite twice leading the NCAA in passing touchdowns, twice in yards, and having four seasons with 25 or more passing touchdowns, it seemed teams and evaluators were worried about his size (5’11) and accuracy issues.
Shedeur Sanders: We all know the slide Sanders took on draft weekend. Whether he tanked his interviews, failed to impress with his playbook knowledge, or the media circus surrounding him caused it, we may never fully know. Despite an impressive 2024 season in Colorado, Sanders now faces an uphill battle.
Likely Outcome
It seems like a given that Joe Flacco will be the starter. At least to start the season. You don’t bring in someone like Flacco unless you want him to get you off to a good start and help teach your younger guys. Pickett seems like the odd man out here, so he is slotted in as the QB2 to start. The real battle is between Gabriel and Sanders. It’s unlikely the Browns carry four guys into the season, so one will likely end up on the practice squad and possibly available to another team.
The Browns don’t have an easy schedule, so a switch during the Week 9 bye seems likely. It’s worth monitoring during training camp and into the preseason to see which rookie makes the squad. Surpassing Pickett as the backup won’t be hard, and Flacco’s magic can run out at any time.
Fantasy Impact
I don’t want any part of this offense. Even in 2QB leagues. The uncertainty across the board will leave you with a sense of worry every week. The Browns also don’t have the greatest receiving group, so the odds of them lifting a so-so quarterback seem unlikely. The best possible outcome would be Sanders securing the job in training camp, but that seems like the least probable outcome right now.
The pass catchers like Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku seem like volatile option this year with so many question marks. We don’t even know who the starting running back will be either. Bad teams can produce valuable fantasy players but I’m not looking for any diamonds in the rough on this team.
Tyler Shough vs Spencer Rattler- New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a storied franchise, but lately, the story has been about their horrible cap management. This offseason, the stories have revolved around the quarterback position. Derek Carr retired after restructuring his contract. This came among reports that he might need shoulder surgery. The Saints took precautions against that by drafting Tyler Shough in the 2nd round. With Carr now out of the picture, it comes down to Sough and last year’s draftee, Spencer Rattler.
Tyler Sough: Sough has been a polarizing player. Some, like myself, see him as a possible dynasty asset. Others seem to see him as nothing more than a stopgap as the Saints try to angle to draft Arch Manning in either 2026 or 2027. Sough was a good college player who seemed to endear himself to the Saints coaching staff during the pre-draft process. While not an elite talent, he is good enough to win games
Spencer Rattler: Rattler was once talked about as the potential first overall pick. He went back to college and proceeded to have some lackluster seasons. He came into the 2024 NFL draft with some preconceived notions about his attitude. Notions held over from his time on the Netflix TV show QB: Beyond the Lights. Rattler got only 5 complete games and time in 7 starts last year. In those games, he showed promise but did not light the world on fire.
Likely Outcome
This could come down to days before Week 1 or could be determined before training camp even starts. Both Shough and Rattler have the potential to make big splash plays, and if they can string a few of them together can lock up the job. The inconsistencies have been the issue for both. I expect Shough to start Week 1, but any sign of weakness will lead to questions and fans calling for Rattler.
Fantasy Impact
Both Shough and Rattler need to improve in certain areas of their game. Neither seems overly successful at the deep ball, which has been the bread and butter of Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Considering that I’m not high on either this year. I love Alvin Kamara even if he is turning 30. He should be the check-down machine for either quarterback. As far as rostering either quarterback, I’m out for redraft leagues. Even Carr would have been a long shot to make fantasy rosters.
Sam Darnold vs Jalen Milroe- Seattle Seahawks
the massive overhaul on the offensive side of the ball for the Seattle Seahawks continued this offseason with the quarterback position. Gone is Geno Smith, traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. In comes last years surprise Sam Darnold and intriguing rookie Jalen Milroe.
Sam Darnold: Darnold had a special season last year with the Minnesota Vikings. It came after years of bouncing around from team to team. He seemed like a career backup until he was able to put up 35 touchdowns last year. That’s the same amount he put up in his first two season combined. Now he turns 2024 into a possible starting job with the Seahawks this year
Jalen Milroe: Milroe was a surprise draft invite which fueled rumors that he was going to go early. He ended up falling to the 3rd round where Seattle scooped him up. Milroe had two solid season as a starter for Alabama with a good chunk of his production coming with his legs and not his arm.
Likely outcome
This is Darnold’s job to lose. Darnold was given the contract to be the starter. The questions is was last year a fluke or the start of something special. Could Darnold follow another former Jets quarterback, Geno Smith and have a late career renascence with Seattle. If he faulters Milroe will put the pressure on. I expect a package for Milroe to be involved given his high rushing upside. Week 8 bye week looms as the natural changing point but could be sooner, could be later depending on how Darnold plays. If Milroe looks good in training camp its more pressure which could have Darnold seeing ghost again.
Fantasy Impact
Darnold will have to protect the ball to keep his job. With 12 interceptions last year its something he isn’t great at doing. I don’t want Darnold right now. He doesn’t have the upside and lasts year looked like a fluke to me considering how good head coach Kevin O’Connell is and the weapons the Vikings have. Coming to Seattle is a downgrade. If they do make the switch to Milroe I’ll be dumping all my FAAB to get him. He has Lamar Jackson like rushing upside. That is something you can’t ignore for fantasy.
I’m still in on Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. The running game should be the focal point but both receivers will be fine. As far as a third option I’m probably waiting to see if one actually becomes consistently relevant.