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Is J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, or Jonah Coleman the Broncos' starting running back? Should I draft J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, or Jonah Coleman for fantasy football drafts?
One of the more ambiguous backfields heading into the 2026 season is the Denver Broncos. Last season, healthy J.K. Dobbins dominated the backfield in stretches, but an injury allowed RJ Harvey to show his fantasy upside.
Things didn’t get easier this offseason after the Broncos elected to re-sign Dobbins and draft a rookie (Jonah Coleman) to fill out the depth chart. Deciding which running back to draft in fantasy could be a headache once again in 2026.
Should fantasy managers draft Dobbins, Harvey, or Coleman in 2026? Read below to find out.
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J.K. Dobbins 2026 Fantasy Outlook
J.K. Dobbins’ 2025 season ended in an injury once again, which has led many to forget how much of a hold he had on Denver’s backfield snaps and production through the first 10 weeks of the season. Dobbins handled 50.9% of the team’s snaps, 56.7% of the team’s rushing attempts, and 34% of the team’s touches when healthy.
The next-closest running back, Harvey, played just 29.1% of the team’s snaps and had 15.5% of the team’s touches.
J.K. Dobbins is the first 100-yard rusher for the @Broncos in the last 38 games
CINvsDEN on ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/ObRtdMIIf2— NFL (@NFL) September 30, 2025
Dobbins was fifth in the NFL in rushing yards before he was injured (772) and the RB24 in PPR points per game (11.6). The veteran running back ranked 10th among all running backs during that time in explosive run rate (13.7%).
Denver thought enough of Dobbins’ production that the team signed him to a two-year, $16 million contract despite the veteran suffering another season-ending injury. Head coach Sean Payton even told reporters that re-signing Dobbins was “... a priority, ahead of all others.”
It’s fair to expect Dobbins to once again lead Denver’s backfield when healthy in 2026. That role is immensely important to a real-life football team, but it will make him a dependable RB2 in fantasy football given his lack of pass-catching ability.
RJ Harvey 2026 Fantasy Outlook
Harvey, Denver’s 2025 second-round pick, was one of the fastest-rising players in fantasy drafts throughout last summer. Harvey’s explosive rushing ability and pass-catching acumen were viewed as ideal fits with Payton, given how much he targets running backs in the backfield.
For the first 10 weeks, Harvey was one of the worst picks in fantasy. The rookie running back was stuck behind Dobbins, playing just 29.1% of the team’s offensive snaps and producing 50 carries for 214 yards and two touchdowns while adding 25 receptions for 175 yards and four touchdowns.
Harvey was the RB29 in PPR points per game (10.0), but had seven games with fewer than eight points, which made him impossible to trust in fantasy.
Once Dobbins went down with an injury, Harvey became one of the best running backs in fantasy. From Weeks 11 to 17, Harvey handled 60% of Denver’s offensive stats, racking up 96 carries for 326 yards and five touchdowns while adding 22 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown. He was the RB10 in PPR points per game (17.1) in that six-game stretch.
Bo Nix TO RJ HARVEY FOR THE LEAD
DENvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wePrfadcIq— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2025
Harvey’s pass-catching ability and nose for the end zone were perfect for fantasy, but his lack of consistency as a rusher (-36.47 rushing yards over expected, RB37 out of 48 qualified runners) capped his ceiling.
Harvey is once again expected to have a role for the Broncos as a pass catcher in 2026, but time will tell how much different his role will look from the first 10 weeks of his rookie season with Dobbins healthy again.
Jonah Coleman 2026 Fantasy Outlook
The Denver Broncos selected the Washington running back in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft to add to the depth of their running back room. Coleman was one of the most productive rushers in the 2026 class over the last two seasons, racking up 349 carries for 1,811 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 54 receptions for 531 yards and two touchdowns.
For most of the season, Coleman was viewed as the potential RB2 in the draft class behind Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. However, questions about his explosiveness (and a lack of answers during the pre-draft process) caused him to slip into the fourth round.
Coleman has wasted no time making a positive impact during his first training camp, consistently drawing praise from Payton and showing off his effectiveness as a rusher.
Duo.
JC presses into the B-gap with his eyes on 53. That forces the LB to come downhill and lets Bolles (72) get his hands on the LB.
Once he sees 72 has outside leverage he bursts through the C-gap and through an arm tackle then spins off an out-of-control DB for a chunk run pic.twitter.com/AIuxjC7qFb
— Dan Fornek ↗️ (@fornekdf) August 15, 2026
He will not be utilized heavily to start his rookie season, but he will likely carve out a small weekly role that can grow into fantasy-relevant production if Dobbins or Harvey are injured.
Who Should You Draft in 2026 for Fantasy Football?
None of Denver’s three running backs is unreasonably priced based on Yahoo’s ADP. Both Dobbins (97.6, RB32) and Harvey (RB39, 102.0) are priced well as RB3s, considering their ambiguous roles leading to inconsistent fantasy production. Coleman (RB54, 130.8) is also priced appropriately as a bench running back with high upside as a handcuff.
Deciding which one to pick largely comes down to your league.
In a PPR league, Harvey is a great value given his importance to the offense as a pass catcher and red zone mismatch weapon. Dobbins is a better pick in standard or half-PPR leagues, but his ceiling is capped in PPR formats. Coleman is a worthwhile pick in any format as a bench stash, but he will have little upside to start the year without an injury.
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