What do we make of RJ Harvey’s rookie season? The Denver Broncos running back flashed upside, but lacked consistency. Entering Year 2, should fantasy football managers anticipate an increased workload and thus, increased production? And does that make Harvey someone worth targeting in fantasy drafts?
Should You Draft Broncos RB RJ Harvey in Fantasy Football?
It’s been quite the unique journey for Harvey from a fantasy football perspective. The evaluation of any player should always start with talent. Obviously, we know there’s a lot more to fantasy football production than merely being good at football.
And players who are not particularly talented can be better fantasy assets than those who are very talented because of the situation and opportunity. But regardless, the first thing we should want to know about any player is how skilled he is at the game.
Harvey was supposed to be a Day 3 pick last season. The Broncos way overdrafted him in the second round. Getting that second-round draft capital mattered (and still matters), but the talent evaluation placed him on Day 3. That also matters.
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After Denver surprised everyone by taking Harvey in the second round, his fantasy value shot up, as it should. The draft capital made it far more likely he’d have an immediate role, and he did…it just wasn’t a useful one.
From Weeks 1-10, Harvey played more than 32% of the snaps just once (40%). The Broncos had signed J.K. Dobbins to a one-year prove-it deal and immediately installed him as their bellcow starter ahead of their highly drafted rookie.
Harvey did flash upside, posting games of 19.8, 24.1, and 16.6 over those first 10 weeks while serving as the RB2 behind Dobbins. But he was unstartable every other week. If not for Dobbins’ foot injury, Harvey never would’ve seen the spike in usage he saw over the second half.
Beginning in Week 11, Harvey started playing around 60% of the snaps. He still wasn’t a workhorse, but he was the clear lead back. From Weeks 11-17, Harvey averaged 17.0 fantasy points per game. Those are RB1 numbers. It’s that stretch that gives fantasy managers confidence in his potential. But everything must be placed in the proper context.
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Even after Dobbins went down, Harvey wasn’t really given the keys to the kingdom. He ceded snaps to Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie.
The carry count clearly went up. Harvey had just one game with double-digit carries across his first 10. He had just one game with only single-digit carries the rest of the regular season.
While that usage is encouraging, it didn’t exactly work. Harvey was far less effective than Dobbins on the ground, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. He only managed to get to 12.2 PPG because Harvey somehow scored 12 touchdowns on under 200 touches. From Weeks 13-17, Harvey scored in every game. That’s not sustainable nor repeatable with Dobbins back in the fold.
Harvey’s Redraft Fantasy Football Value
Harvey is a tough player to get a handle on for 2026. On the one hand, looking at raw fantasy production, he had a pretty good rookie year. We often see sophomore year leaps, and Harvey is well situated playing in a good offense with a good coach and a young, ascending quarterback.
Denver’s offensive weapons are pretty concentrated around Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, and the running backs. It’s not that difficult to see the path for Harvey.
On the other hand, Denver had a chance to see Harvey as the lead back, and it wasn’t great. If they were really content with their running back room, they wouldn’t have drafted Jonah Coleman and made it a point to bring back Dobbins.
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Therein lies the problem with Harvey. Last year, he benefited from the injury to Dobbins. This year, Harvey is likely to open the season back in the role he had over the first half, which saw him with unpredictable usage and only three usable weeks. And if Dobbins gets hurt again, Harvey’s role may not even change. Coleman is the likely direct backup to Dobbins.
Investing in sophomore running backs coming off seemingly promising rookie years is typically a wise move. It’s even more so when they are in a good offensive situation. However, it’s very difficult to see a path to Harvey truly smashing this season.
The good news is Harvey’s RB32 ADP is very reasonable. Even if he’s the same guy he was last year with a little less touchdown luck, it’s hard to see him being a disastrous pick at that price. He’s too inexpensive to kill your season.
READ MORE: 2026 Controversial Fantasy Football Running Back Depth Charts: Who To Draft In These Confusing Rooms
With that said, Harvey scored 40% of his fantasy points from receiving. He scored another 35% of them from touchdowns. He only saw a 10.1% target share and 45% opportunity share. That is not repeatable.
If Harvey’s volume does not increase, that will be a serious problem. The presence of both Dobbins and Coleman suggests it won’t. As a result, I am not particularly interested in Harvey. He’s currently my RB36, well below consensus, and someone I am deliberately fading in 2026.
Preseason Fantasy RB Rankings
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- James Cook III | BUF
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Chase Brown | CIN
- De’Von Achane | MIA
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- D’Andre Swift | CHI
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Blake Corum | LAR
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Rachaad White | WAS
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Jonathon Brooks | CAR
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
- Isiah Pacheco | DET
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Tyjae Spears | TEN
- Nick Singleton | TEN
- Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL
