RJHarvey

News: 2 days agoHarvey is expected to handle a key role in the Denver passing game in 2026, Jon Heath of USA Today reports. "That's where you felt the initial impact," Broncos coach Sean Payton said last week, in reference to Harvey's receiving ability. "And you saw marks of that in college and you also saw him as a runner. He's having a good camp in both areas [rushing and receiving], but [receiving] is certainly a strength of his."

Spin: Along with veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie fourth-round pick Jonah Coleman, Harvey was rested in the Broncos' 34-6 win over the Vikings in the preseason finale Friday, which seemingly indicates that Payton intends for all three players to have roles in the game plan Week 1 against the Chiefs. After managing a soft-tissue issue in training camp, Dobbins is back to full health and is slated to begin the season as the Broncos' starter and lead runner, while the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman is also likely to get some work on early downs. That leaves Harvey in line to serve as more of a change-of-pace option, which could make it difficult for him to build on the seven rushing scores he delivered as a rookie last season. Harvey averaged an unremarkable 3.7 yards per carry but proved to be an adept receiver right away, turning in a 47-356-5 line on 58 targets. He'll maintain more appeal in fantasy leagues with PPR scoring, though Harvey could emerge as a more trustworthy option in non-PPR formats if he earned more carries in the event Dobbins and/or Coleman miss time at any point.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Harvey will go into his sophomore campaign looking to overtake J.K. Dobbins as Denver's lead back. In the 10 games in which both backs were active last season, Harvey handled 50 carries (20% team share) and 29 targets (9%), compared to Dobbins' 153 carries (60%) and 15 targets (4%). With Dobbins sidelined for the team's remaining nine games (including the playoff run), Harvey handled 115 carries (55%) and 41 targets (13%). He averaged 10.0 fantasy points with Dobbins and 14.2 without, though his 3.3 yards per carry during the final nine games was very poor. The entire Denver backfield is set to return in 2026, so similar deployment (which would include receiving specialist Tyler Badie) could be in the cards, though fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman could factor in eventually as well. Harvey, 25, has a slight bit of breakout potential, but the committee setup suggests he's safest viewed as no more than a flex.