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Is J.K. Dobbins out for the season? When is J.K. Dobbins coming back? The latest J.K. Dobbins injury update and fantasy football outlook heading into Week 16 of 2025.
There have been numerous significant injuries during the 2025 NFL season that have had an impact on fantasy football. In some cases, fantasy managers are hoping that their injured player can return down the stretch to provide some fantasy value.
One player who fits that billing is Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins was well on his way to another RB2 season in a good offensive environment before suffering a foot injury that landed him on the injured reserve.
Is Dobbins out for the season? Can fantasy managers expect him back during the fantasy playoffs? Read below to find out.
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Is J.K. Dobbins Out for the 2025 Season?
Dobbins didn’t sign with the Denver Broncos until after the NFL Draft, making many believe he would be a secondary component to 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey. However, it was quickly made apparent that Dobbins was the lead back in the offense on early downs and a trusted pass protector on third downs.
From Weeks 1 to 10, Dobbins averaged 15.3 carries and 77.2 rushing yards per game with the Denver Broncos, with four rushing touchdowns. He also led the backfield with a 50.8% snap share. During that time, Dobbins was the RB24 in fantasy, averaging 11.6 fantasy points per game.
J.K. Dobbins rumbles over 100 yards for the game
DALvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/qLTRvg6V3l
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Unfortunately, a Lisfranc injury on a hip drop tackle in the closing minutes of Week 10 knocked Dobbins off the field on onto the injured reserve. Head coach Sean Payton suggested that Dobbins could make a return in 2025, but that would be during the NFL playoffs, not fantasy football.
For all intents and purposes, Dobbins is out for the 2025 season for fantasy managers.
J.K. Dobbins 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
2025 was a microcosm of Dobbins’ career. Despite years of career-ending injuries, he proved that he is still a reliable RB2 who can handle a steady workload while providing above-average pass protection. Unfortunately, he also suffered another significant injury that shortened, if not ended, his season considerably.
Broncos RB JK Dobbins to have season-ending foot surgery. (via @rapsheet, @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/uceJMKRNL1
— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2025
That said, the nature of this injury and surgery is far less concerning for his long-term performance than his previous ACL and Achilles injuries. Dobbins will absolutely need time to recover, but he should come into 2026 completely healthy.
The veteran running back will once again hit the free agent market and will most likely find himself waiting until the spring to sign yet again due to his injury history. But he has proven twice now that if a team is willing to give him touches, he can put together solid production in real life and fantasy.
Dobbins is a solid high-end RB3, which gives him value in dynasty for as long as he’s healthy. He’s worth acquiring at a reasonable price. Just don’t expect a full season from him.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 16 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Michael Carter, Rico Dowdle, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Trevor Lawrence, RJ Harvey. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 16. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 16 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Michael Carter, Rico Dowdle, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Trevor Lawrence, RJ Harvey. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 16.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 16 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 16 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 16 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 16 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Michael Carter, Rico Dowdle, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Trevor Lawrence, RJ Harvey compared to others:
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