Jadarian Price Tops 6 Running Back Battles to Monitor for Fantasy Football

Jadarian Price battles George Holani for the RB1 role, as do many other NFL running backs at training camp.

Jul 25, 2026; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8) during the first training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A lot will be decided during training camp season in the National Football League. Players show up with a mindset to own the incoming five-plus months of football. They have their sights set on showing fantasy football dominance to all of us managers, indeed. At the running back position, battles are ensuing to earn the largest possible workload. These are some battles to keep an eye out for.

D'Andre Swift vs. Kyle Monangai

The Bears duo worked in a 55-45% split last year. Swift ran for 4.8 yards per attempt for over 1,200 yards, while Monagengai rushed for 4.5 yards per attempt for over 800 yards. Swift is surely the better back, but not by very much.

There are really no big updates to this battle. The same is expected in 2026: Swift owns a 55-45% battle. See our projections here for more.

JK Dobbins vs. RJ Harvey

Dobbins, last year, had nearly 200 more rushing yards than Harvey despite playing just 10 games to Harvey's 19. He did so on 5.0 yards per attempt while Harvey fell short of 4.0 yards per attempt. This battle is really non-existent. Dobbins is the clear RB1 while Harvey is the third-down, pass-catching back.

David Montgomery vs. Woody Marks

The Texans have confirmed that Montgomery will work in a split with Woody Marks. The man who was signed this offseason originally had seeded hope from fantasy managers, who expected him to be a heavy-workload running back. Instead, the latest reports lead our projections to see Montgomery with 45-50% of the work while Marks has 30% and potentially rising. If one player exceeds the other in camp, these projections might quickly change.

Jadarian Price vs. George Holani

Holani caught many eyes by gaining first-team carries ahead of Price. However, that might be an overplayed storyline. It has always been the trend for veterans to get work ahead of rookies in camp. It is not a telltale of what will happen.

Price expects to own this running back room until Zach Charbonnet returns, expectedly in October. Price's projection sees him at about an 85-15% split over Holani. We are ahead of consensus, which, when aggregated with popular opinion, suggests Price has a 75-25% advantage.

Jaylen Warren vs. Rico Dowdle

All reports suggest that this will be a pure 50-50% battle. Nobody has the upper hand right now. Dowdle was signed this offseason to replace Kenneth Gainwell. Though he did find vast success with the Panthers in 2025, Dowdle has a new beginning with a new coaching staff.

A lot is to be unraveled during training camp. As for now, we err on the side of all reports that have come out of Pittsburgh. Our current projections have Warren with a 50-40% advantage, and the balance going to Kaleb Johnson and the end-around works of DK Metcalf.

Commanders Running Back Room

This backfield is very volatile. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is the current RB1, having rushed for 805 yards in 2025. However, the team signed Rachaad White from the Buccaneers, who is more likely to be a pass-catching, supplementary back. Kaytron Allen was then drafted out of Penn State with promising, bruising potential.

With no running back that is probably considered top-25 in the NFL, anything can happen. It is important to know that. If either back proves their worth in clear-cut form, they shall demand an increased workload. That gives Croskey-Merritt everything to lose and White/Allen, everything to gain.

Our volatile projections see Croskey-Merritt beginning the season with 35-40% of the rushing offense. Jayden Daniels shares 25-30% apiece with White, and the balance goes to Allen.