Many fantasy football managers will not start paying attention to the upcoming season until closer to their league's draft, but shrewd ones will be invested by the start of training camp.

Keeping tabs on positional battles is a great way to get a leg up over rivals. The results of these competitions will shape depth charts and directly impact snap counts. For instance, a player projected to be a backup could end up securing a first-string role and return a tremendous amount of value relative to their average draft position (ADP).

Managers might also witness an unheralded rookie or unassuming free-agent pickup showing out during practice sessions. Getting some run with the first or second team may be an indication that this player will be taking on a larger role than expected come the regular season and could be a late-round steal in drafts.

Finally, pecking orders will be determined at these practice sessions. It's massively advantageous for managers to know, and subsequently draft, the players from clubs with deep receiving corps or running back platoons who will actually be seeing the field on Sundays.

With that in mind, here are five positional battles to keep an eye on once training camp for the 2024 NFL season gets underway.

Fantasy points, ADP, overall and positional rankings and other metrics courtesy of FantasyPros PPR data.

Green Bay Packers: Wide Receivers

The Green Bay Packers emerged as a surprise contender last season and even won a statement playoff game over the Dallas Cowboys. Jordan Love's play was the catalyst for the club's successful transition away from longtime signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, but Green Bay's loaded receiving corps also played a major role.

The Packers had four different wideouts surpass the 400-yard receiving mark in 2023. Jayden Reed led the unit with 793 yards and eight touchdowns on 64 catches, but Romeo Doubs wasn't far behind with 59 receptions for 674 yards and eight scores of his own.

Dontayvion Wicks was an unexpectedly large contributor as well, picking up 581 yards and four TDs on the 39 balls he snagged. Christian Watson was a favorite to pace this group going into the campaign but battled injuries that limited him to just nine games. He still reeled in 28 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns in those contests, however.

Each of these pass-catchers—all of which were drafted in the last two years—will be back and vying for looks from Love in 2024. Reed (WR36) is projected to be the top fantasy producer yet again, but a healthy Watson (WR44) is only a few spots behind in the rankings. Doubs (WR55) should be rostered as well while Wicks (WR72) could be a great late-round steal.

All of these receivers have played well early in their careers but none have stepped up to become a true No. 1 star. The Packers will likely need one to emerge as such to become a realistic Super Bowl candidate, and an ascendance could begin to occur as early as training camp.

Managers should keep tabs on Green Bay's practices to see if one of the wideouts separates from the pack. If so, they could become a stellar value and vastly outperform their draft status.

Los Angeles Chargers Running Backs

The Los Angeles Chargers' backfield looks much different than it has in recent seasons. With Austin Ekeler absconding to the Washington Commanders, the team is leaning on a pair of veteran free-agent replacements and a trendy rookie sleeper to handle the rushing workload.

Both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are coming over from the Baltimore Ravens where they found varying levels of success. While Dobbins still has upside—he averaged 5.5 yards per carry over his first 23 contests—ahead of Year 5, the 2020 second-round pick has been plagued by injuries that have cost him 43 of 67 possible games.

Edwards has replaced Dobbins before—including last year when he scored a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns—but fantasy experts expect a bigger role in L.A. based on his RB37 status versus Dobbins' RB53 ranking. However, Edwards is a bit limited as a rusher and is relatively old for a running back at the age of 29.

Rookie sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal is the wild card here. While a late Day 3 draft slot doesn't usually indicate a major chance to contribute in Year 1, the Troy product is already firmly on the fantasy radar as the RB68.

Vidal seems like a steal for the Chargers based on his unique blend of sturdy size, agility and speed in addition to his collegiate production. He tallied 4,010 yards on the ground and had 33 touchdowns on 781 carries and should be able to successfully translate his skill set to the next level.

New head coach Jim Harbaugh likes to lean heavily on the run, meaning there is potential for all three backs to get involved on a weekly basis. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Vidal get at least some snaps with the first- and second-teams during practices with the potential for far more usage if there is an injury or ineffectiveness ahead of him on the depth chart.

Fantasy managers should monitor this platoon in training camp to get an idea of how a rotation might look during the regular season, especially if Vidal is showing out and earning himself a big piece of the pie.

Miami Dolphins: Running Backs

The Miami Dolphins showcased the most exciting ground game of any team last year, and this running back platoon should be even more dynamic in 2024. The hyper-athletic unit, which already featured both a proven veteran in Raheem Mostert and a dynamic young star in De'Von Achane, added yet another playmaker in the form of fourth-round rookie Jaylen Wright.

Mostert, a nine-year veteran, is coming off his best campaign yet. He amassed 1,012 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns on just 209 carries while earning his first Pro Bowl nod. Achane was also a major contributor (tallying 800 yards and eight scores on his 103 totes) and had some truly special outings in his debut NFL season, including an eye-popping 203-rushing-yard performance in only his second career game.

The pairing helped the 'Phins rank No. 6 in rushing yards per game (135.8), No. 1 in yards per carry (5.1) and tie for the top spot in touchdowns scored on the ground (27). Both players were devastatingly effective, and that should only improve with Wright now in the mix.

Wright entered the draft on the heels of two strong seasons at Tennessee. Wright then dominated the combine with an athletic showcase that included a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and 38-inch vertical leap.

Fantasy managers can't go wrong with any of Miami's trio of backs, but Achane has the most potential as the RB11. Mostert is projected to take a step back and is currently rated as the RB28, while Wright is a depth option as the RB58.

Health will once again be a key factor in this platoon. Achane missed six games as a rookie and saw very limited action in two others, while Mostert managed to appear in 15 games for only the third time in his career. Training camp should shed some light on how head coach Mike McDaniel plans to rotate his rushers to reduce their respective burdens.

Fantasy managers should be alert for any injury news coming out of Miami's practices, monitor how the reps are divvied up and adjust their big boards accordingly.

New England Patriots: Wide Receivers

The New England Patriots receiving corps has largely been a group to stay away from in fantasy football drafts, but that could change in 2024.

Fantasy experts are somewhat bullish on this unit thanks to a regime change that has seen Jerod Mayo and Alex Van Pelt take over as head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, The Pats used the No. 3 overall pick on quarterback Drake Maye, who has real potential to develop into a franchise quarterback in the wake of Mac Jones flaming out in Foxborough.

While the team's most productive wideout last year was rookie DeMario Douglas—who had a meager 561 yards and zero touchdowns on 49 receptions—there is a chance that the offense, which was tied for dead last in scoring in 2023, finds a spark this season.

New England has a whopping five wideouts ranked inside the top 100 at the position. Douglas once again leads the pack as the WR69, but rookies Ja'Lynn Polk (WR77)—the club's second-round draft choice—and Javon Baker (WR79) aren't too far behind.

A slew of veterans will also be competing for both looks and coveted roster spots. Kendrick Bourne (WR85) is the most well-regarded of the bunch, but K.J. Osborn (WR95), JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR115) and Tyquan Thornton (WR152) are set to be in the mix as well.

Fantasy managers will want to pay attention to Patriots training camp reports to see how the coaching staff deals with this crowded unit. Be ready to capitalize as there will almost certainly be drastic shifts in the rankings and ADP of New England's wideouts after a pecking order is determined and roster cuts are made.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Quarterbacks

The Pittsburgh Steelers made waves this offseason when they not only signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, but also traded for a promising young signal-caller in Justin Fields.

ESPN's Brooke Pryor recently reported that the nine-time Pro Bowler remains in the "pole position" to become the team's QB1 after taking most of the first-team reps during OTAs and minicamp. While Wilson clearly has the leg up to win the starting job, he hasn't been handed the keys to the offense quite yet.

Mike Tomlin has maintained there will be an open competition for the gig. According to Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab, the Steelers head coach has said that "during the course of team development, training camp and preseason [Fields will] be given the opportunity to compete."

It would be a rather shocking development if Fields beats out a "motivated" Wilson to become a full-time starter again in his fourth NFL season. Still, there's a chance that new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will implement packages that will get Fields, a dynamic playmaker with his legs, off the bench.

Last month, Smith was directly asked about the potential for Pittsburgh to run plays designed for Fields. The offensive coordinator claimed it was "too early" in the competition to determine that, but training camp might be where the Steelers debut these types of plays.

Fantasy managers should pay close attention to these practice sessions to see if Wilson keeps a stranglehold on the QB1 role and whether Fields is being worked in at points even as a clear-cut QB2. If that is the case, it could further bump Wilson—already the QB28—down a peg and provide a bit more value to Fields' QB32 status.