Every year, the NFL Draft injects a ton of new talent into the league. Naturally, this shakes up fantasy football values. With the Denver Broncos making RJ Harvey the sixth running back off the board, how does this impact the fantasy values of key offensive weapons?
Fantasy Impact Of Broncos Drafting RJ Harvey
Is Harvey the sixth-best running back in this class? I have no idea. Nor do I care. For fantasy purposes, all that matters is draft capital and volume. Harvey earned himself second-round draft capital, and it’s hard to fathom a better landing spot.
The Broncos let Javonte Williams go this offseason. Head coach Sean Payton made it abundantly clear he was not overly thrilled with any of the team’s backs last season.
In February, I asked @MoveTheSticks about potential jokers into the draft beyond the top RBs who might fit the Broncos.
One of the names he mentioned? Central Florida RB RJ Harvey. He breaks him down here: pic.twitter.com/ZHKyLAjxqD
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) April 26, 2025
Audric Estimé had a bit of an audition last season, and he did not impress. Jaleel McLaughlin has been better than expected, but that’s more due to his UDFA status than to his being some sort of special talent. McLaughlin is an NFL player, but at 187 pounds, he’s not someone who should be getting more than a handful of touches every game.
The door could not be opened wider for the rookie to have a big role right out of the gate. Even if the Broncos sign a veteran, that would be more to have a capable body behind Harvey. There’s no one out there who would be a serious threat to take the main job from Harvey.
Harvey is an older back at age 24, but he’s fast and explosive, running a 4.4 40-time, good for a 91st percentile speed score. At 205 pounds, he is solid enough to handle around 15 touches a game. He also saw a 9.4 percent target share in his final year at UCF.
All signs point to Harvey starting immediately. There’s an argument to be made that he is more valuable than TreVeyon Henderson for specifically the 2025 season.
Audric Estimé and Jaleel McLaughlin
The Broncos drafting a running back was a foregone conclusion. It didn’t really matter who it was. Fantasy managers weren’t excited about either of these backs before the NFL Draft. Nothing has changed.
If Harvey were to go down, the Broncos would likely employ a three-man committee featuring any number of their replacement-level backups. There’s really no reason to draft any Broncos running back not named RJ Harvey.