The Denver Broncos backfield presents one of the most intriguing fantasy football situations heading into 2025. With veteran J.K. Dobbins leading the charge, rookie sensation RJ Harvey waiting in the wings, and Jaleel McLaughlin fighting for relevance, this trio offers vastly different risk-reward profiles for fantasy managers.
Each back brings unique strengths and concerns that could dramatically impact their fantasy football value throughout the season. Understanding their roles and potential in Sean Payton’s complex offensive system will be crucial for making the right draft-day decisions.
J.K. Dobbins Fantasy Outlook
J.K. Dobbins has climbed from the depths of irrelevance to a respectable position on draft boards this offseason. The former Raven looked like the steal of fantasy drafts through two weeks last year, recording two top-five weeks at the position and averaging 21.5 PPR points per game.
That didn’t last, but Dobbins was still the RB20 in fantasy points per game over the rest of the year. The injury worries that prevented him from being drafted higher were vindicated, though, as he missed four weeks at a crucial part of the fantasy season (Weeks 13-16).
Now in Denver, Dobbins looks likely to lead the backfield, but he may surrender passing-down work to second-round rookie RJ Harvey. Harvey was the darling of the fantasy community for some time this offseason, and could usurp Dobbins if the veteran doesn’t perform.
J.K. DOBBINS WITH AN UNREAL TOUCHDOWN RUN TO BEAT CINCY IN THE FINAL MINUTE 😱 pic.twitter.com/nrEBnaxgCt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 18, 2024
A mid to low-end RB2 finish should be the hope for Dobbins in 2025. However, Harvey’s presence and high draft capital add significant risk. Notably, the veteran wasn’t signed as a free agent until June. Add in the fact that three very different backs all struggled in Denver last season, and Dobbins’s range of outcomes this year is one of the widest among fantasy RB.
Cameron Sheath, Fantasy Football Analyst
RJ Harvey Fantasy Outlook
I’ve mentioned a few times that I like JK Dobbins a lot in this Denver offense, so unfortunately, that did stall a lot of hype I had for Harvey. It’s a bummer, but not the end of his rookie stock. I’d expect Dobbins to get most of the early snaps and some of the money downs like goal line work and third downs. Harvey projects as a much more explosive receiving threat, but his smaller size is going to put him behind as a blocker.Â
However, I still see value here, especially since his ADP has lowered, though not as much as I’d like. In his range, I’d take a chance on TreVeyon Henderson or Isiah Pacheco to start the season, and then target Harvey around midseason. The Sean Payton offense is hard to get a grasp on, especially for running backs who run every type of rushing scheme, but also are heavily involved in the passing game.Â
If it took Bo Nix, a five-year starter in college, a month to get a hold of this offense, it’ll likely take Harvey some time as well, as this is just his 5th season as a running back. Still, there’s plenty of space for him to find plenty of success. His comps very favorably to Darren Sproles in this scheme, and Bo Nix obviously is not scared to dump off the rock.Â
Javonte Williams had 70 targets and 52 receptions last season despite being able to do little with them. If Harvey even sniffs that workload, he can ascend to a usable RB2 with upside WHILE splitting time with Dobbins. If you’re drafting Harvey, be patient. It’ll be hard considering his price, but don’t give up quickly. If you see the Harvey manager struggling a month into the season, take a shot on him before he breaks out.Â
Mason LeBeau, Fantasy Football Analyst
Jaleel McLaughlin Fantasy Outlook
 At one time it looked like McLaughlin could be the next late-round breakout in the Denver backfield. Undrafted in 2023, he not only made the roster, but started three games for the Broncos. His 410 yards as a rookie was promising enough to earn him a little more work in 2024, but even in a barren backfield with Javonte Williams, neither of them or anyone else broke out behind a strong offensive line.Â
McLaughlin more or less repeated his performance, going for just under 500 yards on a higher workload, losing efficiency in the process. He added some maneuverability out of the backfield, but not enough to make him more than a bye-week fill-in.Â
He remains with the Broncos entering his third season at age 25. Williams is gone, but Denver added second-round pick RJ Harvey and veteran JK Dobbins. McLaughlin will have to add special teams value to stick on the roster and improve substantially to keep his role over Harvey. Considering the draft pick they spent on Harvey, it seems unlikely there will be many touches left for McLaughlin.
Mason LeBeau, Fantasy Football Analyst
