The 2024 Broncos backfield ranked 11th in yards before contact per rush but just 28th in yards after contact per rush. This backfield lacked playmaking juice. The backfield totaled 117 targets -- only the Saints, Dolphins, and Buccaneers targeted the RB position more. Those targets resulted in the 10th-most backfield receiving Fantasy points. The infrastructure was there for monster Fantasy production, but this was simply an inefficient backfield. Ahead of even Ashton Jeanty, Harvey led college football in rushes of 15+ yards across the 2023-24 seasons. Harvey posted an avoided tackle rate of 30% or better with a yards after contact per rush rate of 3.5 or better in all three seasons as a starter. Those are elite thresholds. If only including his career runs vs. Power Four competition, Harvey maintained a 30.8% avoided tackle rate and 3.61 yards after contact per rush. He's a dynamo with the ball in his hands, and he got the Sean Payton stamp of approval in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Feel free to follow Payton's lead and select Harvey as early as you want to. He checks all of the boxes. Harvey has the upside to be worth targeting as early as the beginning of Round 5 of your Fantasy drafts.
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Fantasy Points
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2025
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2024
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2023
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3y Avg.
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Fantasy News
Broncos' RJ Harvey: Eight total touches Saturday
Rotowire
Harvey rushed seven times for 25 yards and brought in one of two targets for four yards in the Broncos' 30-9 preseason win over the 49ers on Saturday night.
Harvey had a prominent role in the Broncos' first possession, logging Denver's first touch and gaining three yards on that carry, then recording two more rush attempts totaling eight more yards later in the drive. The rookie second-round pick finished second in carries to Audric Estime, and he'll continue jostling for slotting in a busy Broncos backfield during the second preseason game against the Cardinals next Saturday night.
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Broncos' RJ Harvey: Listed fifth on depth chart
Rotowire
Harvey is listed fifth on Denver's initial preseason depth chart even though he's been repping as the No. 2 RB in practice, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.
Multiple Denver beat writers have noted that coach Sean Payton almost always puts rookies at the bottom of the depth chart. Reports out of practice tell a different story than what's printed, with J.K. Dobbins atop the rotation and Harvey typically the second man up. The real question is how work will be split between the two come Week 1, although there is some chance Jaleel McLaughlin or one of the other depth backs poaches a few touches here and there. While Harvey is the clear choice in terms of explosiveness at this point in their respective careers, Dobbins has experience as an NFL starter and a solid reputation for pass blocking. That's seemingly enough to make Dobbins a favorite for the Week 1 start, even if Harvey remains the more attractive fantasy asset for the season-long haul.
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Broncos' RJ Harvey: Impressing in camp
Rotowire
Harvey has drawn praise early in camp, impressing Denver's coaching staff with his explosiveness and speed, according to Nick Kosmider of The Athletic.
With padded practices underway, Harvey has turned heads with his ability to maintain speed while making quick cuts to avoid defenders. After Tuesday's practice, head coach Sean Payton highlighted a play the rookie running back made during the session, saying Harvey "had a run today that was something, and we kind of turned and looked at each other." The UCF product demonstrated great decision-making on his way to multiple big gains. Harvey has even showed a willingness to step up into oncoming pressure in protection, though Payton noted that this will be an area of his game that needs growth. "For him, specifically, the protections, the speed of the game...there's that learning curve for all young players. Some of it happens a little quicker than others, but he's doing exceptional," Payton said. According to Kosmider, the 24-year-old Harvey and veteran J.K. Dobbins have routinely taken the bulk of snaps with the Broncos' first-team offense. Though the presence of Dobbins likely caps Harvey's potential as a true workhorse back, his continued development could lead to a bigger share of the backfield workload based on Denver's need for explosiveness in the ground game.
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Broncos' RJ Harvey: Inks rookie deal with Broncos
Rotowire
Harvey signed his four-year rookie contract with the Broncos on Friday, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.
Harvey, the 60th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is thus poised to claim a key role in the Broncos' offense as a rookie. Also in the mix for the team's carries this coming season are J.K. Dobbins, Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin, but among the four, Harvey is arguably the higher-upside play in fantasy, which is reflected by his ADP as training camp approaches.
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Broncos' RJ Harvey: Gets backfield competition
Rotowire
Harvey has new backfield competition with the Broncos having agreed to terms with J.K. Dobbins on a one-year, $5.25 million contract Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Dobbins offers more experience than Audric Estime or Jaleel McLaughlin, with the 26-year-old having racked up 1,058 scrimmage yards and nine total touchdowns across 13 regular-season appearances with the Chargers in 2024 -- a tremendous rebound after three consecutive injury-riddled years in Baltimore. While Dobbins' impressive comeback year shouldn't be discounted, he still missed four games due to an MCL sprain and faded down the stretch. His 4.6 YPC on the season was buoyed by a strong start, as from Week 3 on he managed just 3.8 YPC. Harvey's impressive athleticism, 4.40 speed and status as a second-round pick still makes him likely to see a significant role out of the gate, and coach Sean Payton's offenses have a history of supporting two fantasy-viable RBs at a time. Nonetheless, the arrival of Dobbins makes it harder to project the rookie as a workhorse for the Broncos in 2025.
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