Some fantasy football drafts are already underway for the real hardos out there, but for the majority of the redraft population, drafts won’t start for a few weeks. Going into any draft comes with pressure and high expectations, especially for former league winners.
Everyone is looking for that next breakout star, the player they can draft in Round 10 or later and hit on an absolute gem. Players like Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs are the no-brainer players at the running back position, but the field of superstar talent fades quickly.
While there are several later-round running backs to be excited about, there’s something about RJ Harvey that is incredibly intriguing ahead of the 2026 campaign. The Denver Broncos not only dethroned the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC West, but they also made it to the AFC Championship, narrowly losing to the New England Patriots.
Harvey should quickly overtake J.K. Dobbins as the RB1 in this offense and turn into a fantastic complementary back alongside third-year QB Bo Nix.
Don’t Sleep on RJ Harvey in Your Fantasy Drafts
The Rookie Season
As a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Harvey received a lot of hype heading into his rookie campaign. Fantasy managers and football fans alike were looking forward to seeing what Harvey could do on this team, hoping he could add to this offense that was on the rise.
While his first year wasn’t bad by any stretch of the word, it also wasn’t what everyone hoped for. Harvey ended the year with 540 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, adding 47 receptions for 356 yards and five touchdowns.
This finish was good enough for Harvey to finish the season as the RB20 in PPR formats. Nothing flashy, of course, but he proved that he could hold his own at the NFL level.
Don’t miss our fantasy football preview of RJ Harvey and the 2026 Denver Broncos!
Elite Pass-Catching Abilities
Harvey clearly established himself as a dual-threat back, and his 47 receptions were a clear sign of that. He was eighth in the league in running back receptions, just behind fellow rookie from the Las Vegas Raiders, Ashton Jeanty. X user Mugi2K pointed out how strong Harvey was in this area, noting that he not only had the most receiving yards of any 2025 rookie RB, but that Nix had the second-highest passer rating in the league when targeting Harvey.
As we’ve seen with the elite running backs in recent years, having that pass-catching gene is imperative, and Harvey has that in spades.
Oh Yeah, He Can Run Too
While we’ve spent a lot of time on Harvey’s abilities as a receiving back, he can certainly run the rock, too.
Harvey didn’t quite achieve the 4 YPC mark, which is typically seen as elite, but 3.7 was not unimpressive, especially for a rookie. The Broncos used him in a variety of situations, including the goal line. Nix had 5 rushing TDs of his own, so if a few more of those went Harvey’s way, we could be viewing him in a completely different light.
Sean Payton has already indicated that Harvey is on his way to being a third-down back this year, and after a season where he averaged 2.7 yards after contact, there’s plenty of room for him to make that happen in this offense.
RJ Harvey 2026 Fantasy Outlook
With his performances from 2025 in mind, let’s dive into our realistic expectations for Harvey in Year 2. It would be foolish to rank him ahead of the likes of Gibbs, Robinson, McCaffrey, and Jonathan Taylor, but where should he fall?
Fantasy Pros’ ADP currently slots Harvey as the RB26, putting him as the 55th best player from an ADP perspective. In a 12-team league, that would put Harvey in the fourth or fifth round.
If he’s dropping that far, he’s more than worth the capital, but we would also be comfortable selecting him above players like Bhayshul Tuten, Quinshon Judkins, D’Andre Swift, and David Montgomery. All four of those RBs are ahead of him in ADP at the moment, but with more opportunities and a bit better luck in the touchdown department, Harvey could easily surpass them.
He might not finish the year as a top-12 RB, but if he can have weeks of RB5-RB12 finishes, especially during tough bye weeks, Harvey could end up being a league-winner this season.
Looking for your favorite team? This link will take you to the rest of our 2026 Look Inside team previews.
A Look Inside the Los Angeles Rams
Editor’s Note: While this article focused on RJ Harvey in fantasy football, we don’t want to leave you hanging on the rest of the team. Here is a quick look at the other fantasy-relevant Broncos from Ryan Weisse.
Bo Nix
Honestly, the whole fantasy community might be too low on Nix, myself included. He has finished as the QB7 in back-to-back seasons, and the team should be better this year. Yet, you can get him as the QB13 or 14 in most drafts. He is recovering from a late-season injury, but you can do far worse if you waited on QB.
J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins is a hell of a runner…when he plays. When he plays is a phrase that has haunted Dobbins’ career. Last season, he missed seven games and still finished as the RB43 overall, and was the RB27 in points per game. Draft him like you’ll only have him half the season and hope that you are pleasantly surprised.
Jaylen Waddle
The Broncos’ biggest move of the offseason was swinging the trade for Waddle. Bo Nix now has two great WRs, and this offense should be humming. The dilemma lies when trying to figure out target share, as Courtland Sutton is the established WR here. But last year, Sutton and Troy Franklin both crossed 100 targets. The Broncos should throw more this season, and that will lead to plenty of opportunities for both. I have Waddle leading the team, and he is likely a top-20 WR in this offense.
Courtland Sutton
Don’t go and bury Sutton just yet. Even if he falls to second in the pecking order, that should still mean 110-120 targets. Last year, he was the WR22 on 122 targets. He is still a top-36 guy, and will have weeks where he looks like a WR1.
Evan Engram
On top of Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims, Engram suffers the most at the addition of Waddle. This team will target its top-two guys, and Engram ain’t close to that anymore. He played 16 games last year and finished as the TE33. Things could be worse this year. Don’t even think about him in your fantasy drafts.
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Before you go, check out where RJ Harvey and the rest of the Broncos fall in our 2026 Fantasy Rankings!
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