RJ Harvey Injury Opens Door For a New Fantasy Football Star in Denver
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Prior to the Denver Broncos’ thrilling victory against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that running back RJ Harvey sustained a knee injury in practice.
Denver placed Harvey on IR, meaning that he’ll miss at least the next four games. He’ll be eligible to suit up once again Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins.
The loss is potentially an impactful one for the team, who already rank 26th in rushing yards per contest.
What about from a fantasy perspective? Whose fantasy value on the AFC West division leading Broncos stands to change the most due to Harvey’s absence? We break it down.
RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
Harvey has played in six out of eight possible games this season, and his numbers as a half-back are pedestrian at best.
24 carries, 87 yards, 3.6 yards per carry, one touchdown, and 9.2 fantasy points per game in half-PPR formats (31st in the NFL).
However, it is Harvey’s dynamism as a receiver that makes him a serious threat on the field and as a fantasy weapon.
Through Week 6, Harvey (as a running back) led the entire Broncos roster in receptions. He ranks fourth in receiving yards per game among backs, and despite missing two contests this season, he’s fifth in the league in yards after catch with 296; second in YAC/game (49.3).
The Broncos will miss his dual-threat ability, especially as a playmaker and check-down safety valve for Bo Nix. That said, Denver does roster a player who could potentially replace some of that production.
RB Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos
Whether he’s ever officially given the designation or not, Coleman could very well be the Broncos RB1 for the remainder of the season.
The rookie out of Washington has missed four games in 2026 due to an ankle sprain, but in the contests he has played, he’s looked terrific.
After returning from injury in Week 7, he has led the team in carries (20). His 4.5 yards per rushing attempt is a team high, and so too is his 53.3% success rate.
Perhaps most telling of Sean Payton’s confidence in Coleman is the significant uptick in his usage rate.
Jonah Coleman is officially here and there is no looking back
— Bryce DeGroat (@NFL_Convo) November 2, 2026
RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins are done pic.twitter.com/Q7s5C2e4kg
His snap count jumped from three to 25 between Weeks 1 and 2, and then from 30 to 41 between Weeks 7 and 8. That 66% snap rate was the highest for a running back on the team against the Chiefs, with J.K. Dobbins and Adam Pentice tied for second-highest at 21% apiece.
Coleman also seamlessly slid into the role Harvey usually plays in Week 8, leading Denver in receptions, receiving yards, and yards per catch. He nearly scored a touchdown (which would have given him two on the day) off a rollout from Bo Nix, catching and running the ball 51 yards to get his team into the red zone.
He finished the game with 104 scrimmage yards.
Coleman’s Week 8 efforts earned him 18.4 fantasy points, good for 11th among running backs. At the very least, he figures to be the Broncos’ highest-volume rusher and an intriguing streaming option moving forward. We also see a world in which he becomes a coveted fantasy star.
Broncos RBs | Fantasy points per game (half-PPR) |
|---|---|
J.K. Dobbins | 6.9 |
RJ Harvey | 9.2 |
Jonah Coleman | 9.9 |
RB J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos
While Coleman is trending upwards, Dobbins is heading in the opposite direction.
The 27-year-old has three touchdowns in his previous four games, but his recent volume of rushes is alarmingly low at 6.5 over his last two contests. His 3.3 yards per carry is way down from last season (5.0), as is his 39.4% success rate (down from 53.6%).
Perhaps the most telling of his struggles is his -100.0 rushing yards over expected, which is dead last in the NFL among running backs that have played in at least seven games.
The lack of production is beginning to reflect in his snap count, which has plummeted from 31 to 14 to 13 across Weeks 6, 7, and 8.
Dobbins’ role in the offense is clearly decreasing, which doesn’t bode well for his fantasy prospects in the second half of the season.
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Macklin is a Brooklyn-based writer who’s covered the NBA, NFL, WWE, Disney Channel Original movies and everything in between. All of his wildest dreams came true the day Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to an NBA Championship.
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