2026 Fantasy Football IDP - NFC Training Camp Battles To Watch

I kicked it off the other day with the AFC; now let's take a dive into the NFC training camp battles to watch for IDP.

Subscribe to 4for4 for FREE today!

More 2026 IDP: 2026 Projections and Rankings | IDP Big Board with ADP | IDP Depth Chart Hub | 2026 IDP Primer | Defensive Line Ranks and Tiers | Linebacker Ranks and Tiers | Defensive Backs Ranks and Tiers

2026 IDP - NFC Training Camp Battles To Watch

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

DeMarvion Overshown is turning heads at camp, but there are questions about who will be his running mate at LB2. Dallas traded for Dee Winters around the draft, and also used a Day 2 selection on Michigan hybrid defender Jaishawn Barham, who's mixed in with the first team defense at camp. Shemar James and Marist Liufau mixed in at times in 2025, and the Cowboys are attached to any potential linebacker rumor that's out there. I'm passing on Winters in drafts, opting to swing late on Barham instead.

New York Giants

The playing time battles in New York mostly center around the cornerback room, which is not particularly IDP-friendly or relevant.

Philadelphia Eagles

Cooper DeJean is going to be on the field no matter what, but his alignment might look different in 2025. The Eagles have more depth at cornerback than they do at safety, so we'll likely see more box safety snaps for DeJean this season after he played a ton in the nickel/slot role last season. DeJean in the slot means more safety snaps for Marcus Epps while Jonathan Jones benefits if DeJean is aligned at safety. Neither Jones nor Epps are worth drafting at the moment.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders solidified one of their safety spots by signing Nick Cross to a lucrative free agent deal this offseason, and we should expect more of the same from Cross in 2026. The other spot is still a bit unclear right now, even though it feels like a healthy Will Harris wins the job. Injuries at the position in 2025 opened up playing time for Quan Martin and Jeremy Reaves, and Martin could fit next to Cross in more of a free safety role if Dan Quinn and company decide to go that way.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

The Bears have a lot of new faces in the secondary this season, though one of them, safety Coby Bryant, is set to miss a couple of months after an injury last week in training camp. Now Chicago's depth will be tested. Rookie Dillon Thieneman is set to play an IDP-friendly role, and we'll need to see if it's Cameron Lewis or Elijah Hicks who steps in next to Thieneman. Lewis might be needed to handle slot duties as Kyler Gordon slowly returns to full strength, which makes this a camp battle and situation to watch.

Detroit Lions

There are jobs to win in the secondary in Detroit, at both cornerback and safety, but the more relevant IDP job is the LB2 spot next to Jack Campbell. Derrick Barnes is going to play, but he's played more of an edge role in seasons past. Malcolm Rodriguez is here as well, and healthy after missing time in 2025, but the Lions also signed Devin White this week. White was an IDP monster in Las Vegas last season, finishing among the league-leaders in combined tackles despite a high missed tackle rate and being a liability in coverage. So yes, we have to figure out how they're going to piece together the back end while Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph get healthy, but White could return to relevance again in 2026 if he's named the starter.

Green Bay Packers

No Micah Parsons to start the season opens up snaps for Green Bay's defensive line room, but will someone step up and be someone we need to watch in IDP leagues? I'm not so sure.

The depth chart has more questions than answers, and a lot of focus will fall on 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness. He'll need to produce even after Parsons returns, so he's an interesting late flier in deeper leagues.

Minnesota Vikings

The jobs in Brian Flores's defense are more second-string than first-string, but those could matter especially if there are injuries at linebacker. Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson are both incredibly productive, but they're not exactly pillars of health. Rookie Jake Golday will find a way to earn snaps for the Vikings this year, even if they come as a pass rusher, but if he can get ahead of Ivan Pace on the depth chart, that'll matter at some point this season.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

I thought we might see a camp battle for LB2 snaps, but it seems pretty clear that it's Devine Deablo and Christian Harris here for the Falcons. Losing edge Jalon Walker to an ACL injury is a brutal beat for Atlanta, who might also lose James Pearce Jr. to a suspension after a troubling off-season. This creates an opportunity for someone to emerge for meaningful pass-rush snaps, with Samson Ebukam and Azeez Ojulari likely stepping in first. Rookie Harold Perkins Jr. is another interesting name to watch, who could play that hybrid edge role out of necessity.

Carolina Panthers

There are edge snaps to be had here after Nic Scourton's season-ending injury, but for IDP purposes, we need to watch what happens at safety. When Nick Scott missed a few weeks late in the season, rookie Lathan Ransom stepped in and played well, even keeping the starting role in Carolina's playoff game once Scott was healthy. Ransom is far more appealing than Scott for IDP purposes, but admittedly is a bit redundant as someone who thrives in a box-heavy role, just like starter Tre'von Moehrig. This is one to watch.

New Orleans Saints

This Saints LB2 job is a lot like the Panthers safety battle. There's a clear choice in IDP leagues, with second-year thumper Danny Stutsman offering a lot more fantasy intrigue than incumbent Pete Werner, but Werner is the veteran and the leader in the clubhouse right now. We didn't see much of Stutsman in 2025, but he clearly offers more tackle and big-play upside than Werner does. Stutsman has been mixing in, taking first-team reps next to Kaden Elliss during training camp, so it does feel like an open competition, and one I certainly hope Stutsman wins.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers revamped their linebacker room this offseason after Lavonte David retired. They brought in some familiar faces in Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom, and added Josiah Trotter in the draft to mix in with returning starter SirVocea Dennis. Four players, two spots. It's clear that Anzalone will take one of the spots, while rookie Josiah Trotter is turning heads in camp. Dennis was such a liability in coverage last season, I can't imagine he'll play much without injuries ahead of him. We know who Anzalone is as an IDP commodity, so Trotter is the one with appealing upside, particularly in tackle-heavy scoring leagues.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals should use more multi-linebacker sets under this new coaching staff, so the LB2 role here matters more than it has in years past. Jack Gibbens signed here in free agency and is looking to work his way in but appears to be third on the depth chart right now behind Mack Wilson and Cody Simon. Gibbens has been productive on a per-snap basis in the past, but has rarely seen a full-time role. Wilson and Simon are cheap in drafts at the moment.

Los Angeles Rams

There's an embarrassment of riches in Los Angeles. After a busy offseason, the Rams defensive unit is loaded with strong IDP assets at all levels. I don't know if there's a true battle for the LB2 role, but we've seen Shaun Dolac mix in with the first unit a bit, perhaps challenging Omar Speights for those snaps next to Nate Landman. The upside for the LB2 role here is capped either way, with the Rams using two linebackers at one of the lowest rates in the league.

San Francisco 49ers

Mykel Williams missed most of his rookie season and underwhelmed when he was on the field. Now there are reports that he may not be ready to play Week 1. That opens up snaps opposite Nick Bosa, which could make either Sam Okuayinonu or Keion White slightly more appealing in deeper leagues. White's still young and mostly unproven, but his upside as a pure pass rusher is intriguing. For now, I'm just staying away from all of these non-Bosa options and hoping the electrical substation takes a day off soon.

Seattle Seahawks

Your defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are also without a clear camp battle at the moment. Things could get interesting if Nick Emmanwori's injury and recovery take longer than expected, but for now, we don't need to worry about any of the depth pieces here.