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When is RJ Harvey coming back? Will RJ Harvey play again this season? Read about RJ Harvey's return date and injury updates for 2026.
Just when Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey looked like he was turning the corner, he ended up straining his knee and derailing his season.
Harvey was one of the most disappointing players in fantasy football over the first month of the regular season. Fantasy experts and players had assumed Harvey would be Denver’s top tailback after a solid rookie campaign, yet after four games he only had 56 rushing yards while adding 132 receiving yards. He also did not score a touchdown.
But then Harvey had scored touchdowns in back-to-back games, including a scintillating 52-yard TD catch in Week 7. Everything was shaping up for him to be a major piece in the offense in Week 8 against Kansas City, but Harvey injured his knee in practice and missed the contest. So what is his status for Week 9 and beyond? Here is the latest:
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RJ Harvey Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Fantasy managers will not be seeing or using Harvey anytime soon. He was placed on the short-term injured reserve last week after he was initially injured, meaning he cannot play in Denver’s next four games.
The #Broncos are placing emerging RB R.J. Harvey on short-term IR as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered in practice this week, source says.
Harvey will miss the next four games and is eligible to return as soon as the #Broncos game vs the #Dolphins on Dec. 6. https://t.co/wBTJw6KHv4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 31, 2026
Harvey missed the Kansas City tilt (which Denver won in exciting fashion) and will also miss games against Carolina, Las Vegas, and Pittsburgh. Denver has a bye sandwiched in the middle of that as well, so Harvey will not be allowed on a field until Week 13 against Miami – if he is healthy enough to suit up.
Denver has been guarded with information regarding Harvey’s knee injury. The Broncos did not announce which knee Harvey hurt, or what the exact injury even is. So the four-week timetable can lead us to believe his knee is sprained or strained and nothing is torn, but we really have no idea, which makes what his return date is sketchy.
The one thing we know is that Harvey is not going to miss the remainder of the season, or else Denver would have placed him on the season-ending injured reserve rather than the short-term one.
RJ Harvey Fantasy Football Outlook
Harvey was splitting time in the Broncos backfield with veteran J.K. Dobbins, playing primarily on passing downs, while rookie speedster Jonah Coleman was taking some touches and time away from Harvey as well. This was part of the reason for Harvey’s slow start.
Now the problem is that Harvey’s role might be reduced even more with Coleman’s emergence this past Sunday, when he rolled up 41 rushing yards, 63 receiving yards, and a touchdown in Denver’s heart-stopping victory over Kansas City. Coleman showed that he has a similar skill set to what Harvey brings to the table.
Because Dobbins has an injury-prone past and Coleman is an unproven commodity, the jury is out on how this running back rotation will pan out. I would not give up on Harvey yet, though. Stash him on your team’s injured list and wait for him to return in Week 13 and see what the landscape is before you make any final decision on him.
If you need a running back this week on the waiver wire, here are a couple quick options:
Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders
I do not think Ashton Jeanty is the biggest bust of the past 20 years like Rex Ryan proclaimed, but Mike Washington Jr. is getting more rushing attempts, touches, and snaps than Jeanty is, especially down by the goal line where the fantasy points are the most important.
Mike Washington Jr. Worth Adding After Heavy Workload in Week 8 https://t.co/c0Ov7iQYeL
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) November 2, 2026
Seth McGowan, Indianapolis Colts
A seventh-round rookie is not normally the prototype for who fantasy managers want to pick up on waiver wires, but if Indianapolis’ rebuilding plan includes trading top tailback Jonathan Taylor before the deadline, Seth McGowan steps in as Indy’s RB1. That would make him extremely valuable, even if the Colts turn out to be the worst team in the NFL.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Jonah Coleman, J.K. Dobbins, Mike Washington Jr. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 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 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (2026)? 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 results and recommendations.
Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 9 for Jonah Coleman, J.K. Dobbins, Mike Washington Jr.:
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