RJ Harvey's Hamstring Injury Could Reveal the Broncos’ Next Fantasy Football Sleeper
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The Denver Broncos could be without RJ Harvey this weekend, and let me tell you, that is intriguing. Fantasy analysts throughout August have listed many names as potential long-term sleepers. One of my personal favorite names of them all? Jonah Coleman. Since Harvey is a Wednesday DNP, he has a reasonable chance of being in street clothes on Sunday. Here is what that may project to mean for Denver's rushing offense.
Fantasy Forecast
If Harvey were out on Sunday, Coleman would finally get some NFL regular-season touches. Rewinding to the Broncos Week 1 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Coleman played a total of 3 snaps and did not rush the ball at all.
JK Dobbins led all Broncos in Week 1 rushing, accounting for 9 rushing snaps, 8 attempts, and 36 yards. Harvey trailed with 6 rushing snaps, 3 attempts, and 18 yards. No other running back had a touch.
The Broncos must field Coleman if Harvey is out. He is the RB3, ahead of Tyler Badie. Coaching comments from this past offseason give Coleman good reason to see the football in due time.
"We’re trying to find — who’s the best runner, and does it fit us?" Payton commented on the "why" behind the Broncos drafting Coleman. "His frame is such that when you see him that he does a really good job of, blocking pressure looks."
Payton clearly trusts Coleman to pass block. Thus, he will need Coleman on the field. In Week 1, JK Dobbins was among the worst-rated pass blockers at his position. In 2025, Dobbins' pass-blocking was below NFL average for a running back, with a rating of 60.3, per PFF.
My projections forecast the following yard-shares of the Broncos' rushing offense should Harvey be inactive:
- JK Dobbins: 57%; roughly 58 rushing yards
- Jonah Coleman: 24%; roughly 25 rushing yards
- Bo Nix (QB): 15%: roughly 15 yards
The balances would go to minimal rogue snaps for Tyler Badie and end-around-type rushes for Marvin Mims Jr. and/or Jaylen Waddle. I account for Waddle to have about 4% of the Broncos' rushing volume, which is probably about 1 rushing attempt per 1.5 games played.
The projection on Coleman would only put him in the top 60 among Week 2 running backs. It does not make him a viable start. Rather, fantasy managers ought to keep a keen eye on how Coleman plays in comparison to Dobbins.
Dobbins is being paid $16 million through 2027. While he demands a $16 million salary, he is unlikely to be viewed as an option beyond next season. While being just 27 years old, Dobbins has never played a full NFL season. He has endured multiple season-ending injuries. The odds are that Dobbins will miss time this year and next.
The future of Denver could be in the hands of Harvey and Coleman. That is not a certainty, but Sean Payton logically views his younger duo as higher-upside options in the future. What I am getting at is that if Coleman looks as good as, or even better than, Dobbins, he could have a rapid rise to much more early-down snaps.
This would not be a jump for Harvey on the depth chart. After all, the team views Harvey as a third-down back with a pass-catching, east-to-west skill set that is different from both Dobbins' and Coleman's. Harvey scored 7 receiving touchdowns in 2025. That is not something that can be replaced within the current staff.
Time will tell how Denver works out their backfield, but I remain optimistic it's headed toward Coleman. He is bound to have snaps as an RB2 for many games this season, whether Harvey or Dobbins is out. Coleman is surely worth a roster stash, especially in dynasty formats.
RJ Harvey Injury Status
Harvey did not practice on Wednesday. That is often a telltale sign that a player is truly at risk of sitting out on Sunday. Thursday will be the true breaking point. Stay tuned to your fantasy platforms' injury data for further confirmation on Harvey's Week 2 status.
Unfortunately, we have no details on Harvey's injury or its severity. Given that there are few details publicly available, fantasy managers can expect the ailment to be more mild than severe. That does not mean he will play.
#Panthers Jalen Coker - Suspect low ankle. LP Wed. Most WRs would play thru. Typically wouldn't see stats dip if able to log 1 FP prior to game#Broncos RJ Harvey - DNP w/hamstring. Most hamstring injuries would keep him out at least 1 wk. May be worth adding Jonah Coleman
— Deepak Chona, MD. SMA (@SportMDAnalysis) September 17, 2026
4/5
I defer to an expert medical opinion from Deepak Chona, MD. SMA. Based on available information, Chona states that Harvey would often miss at least one game. In a shallow analysis of recent mild hamstring strains in the NFL, running backs have indeed often missed time. The only instance I found of a player missing or having zero playing time was Bijan Robinson.
In 2024, Robinson had a mild hamstring issue in early October. He did not miss time, but Robinson was also limited in practice that week. Thus, Harvey's odds seem to be against playing, but until the team releases more information to the public, we cannot know for certain. Plan not to have Harvey in your lineup if you do own him.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.