Top NFL Training Camp Competitions To Watch

As training camps open over the next week or so, some jobs that are significant to fantasy football are up for competition.  I'm going to break down some of the top camp competitions you need to pay attention to as a fantasy football owner approaching draft day.

1. Matt Leinart/Kurt Warner, QBs, Arizona Cardinals.  Leinart is likely to be given every chance to take a stranglehold on the starting job, but when he missed most of last year Warner was effective in his stead.  Some have questioned Leinart's desire to get better and commitment to being a good NFL QB, but as a former first round pick he is penciled in as the starter in the desert.  Whoever wins the job becomes very fantasy relevant, with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin at WR, and the declining Edgerrin James at RB likely leading to a lot of throwing to move the ball.

2. Justin Fargas/Darren McFadden, RBs, Oakland Raiders.  Fargas rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, and the thanks he gets is for the team to draft Arkansas RB Darren McFadden fourth overall this year.  This opens a competition between the high-profile rookie and Huggy Bear's kid.  Finding carries for both is a good problem to have for the otherwise decrepit Raiders.  McFadden looks to be the front runner, but keep an eye on this since the Raiders have had a solid rushing offense even when their offense struggles as a whole.

3. Matt Forte and Kevin Jones, RBs, Chicago Bears.  With the offseason release of former first round pick Cedric Benson, the Bears have an opening at RB for someone to become the primary ballcarrier.  Forte is a rookie second round draft pick out of Tulane that was very productive in his senior season.  Jones is the former Detroit Lions' first round pick that was released this offseason after suffering a knee injury last season.  Forte looks like the frontrunner right now, but Jones could provide competition.

4. Alex Smith/Shaun Hill/J.T. O'Sullivan, San Francisco 49ers.  I know what you're saying, "Why would you want to pay attention to San Francisco's QBs?" The main answer is the offseason hiring of Mike Martz as offensive coordinator. 

Martz has proven to have a pass-happy schemed in previous stops, and that isn't likely to change a lot in San Francisco.  Smith, the former No.1 overall pick, should be the front runner based on the expectations he comes with.  But Hill played well late last season after Smith was out with a shoulder injury, and O'Sullivan was with Martz in Detroit and knows the offensive system. 

The offseason additions of WRs Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson should help whoever takes the job.  This seems to be just a facade of a "competition" as Smith should easily beat out Hill and O'Sullivan.

5. Chad Pennington/Kellen Clemens, QBs, New York Jets.  I know, I know, who cares about the Jets.  This competition is more important for the impact it could have on WRs Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles and RB Thomas Jones.  Cotchery would be more effective with the stronger armed Clemens at the helm, which may also help loosen the defense for Jones to be more effective running the ball.  This is truly an open competition.