Denver Broncos

Welcome back to my ‘One Question’ series, and thank you to everyone who read my piece on the Kansas City Chiefs — are you buying or selling Travis Kelce (TE – KC) in 2026? We’re staying in the AFC West, which looks to be a division filled with players that we all want for fantasy, and this week’s team is no different. Let’s take a look at the Denver Broncos, who are fresh off a season in which they made it to the AFC Championship Game and added former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (WR – DEN) this offseason to bolster their wide receiver room in a blockbuster trade. Even with Bo Nix (QB – DEN) returning from an ankle injury he suffered in the AFC Divisional Game, all arrows are pointing up for Nix and the Broncos offense in 2026.

But, like most teams, the running back is a key component in the success or lack thereof of NFL offenses, and picking the right one on draft day in your fantasy league can be the difference between making the playoffs and being a true contender.

Last year, the Broncos signed J.K. Dobbins (RB – DEN) and drafted RJ Harvey (RB – DEN) with their second-round pick. After a strong start to the season, Dobbins suffered a season-ending injury. Harvey would immediately pay dividends on the Broncos’ second-round investment, scoring 12 touchdowns, catching 47 passes, and totaling nearly 900 yards from scrimmage.

Fast forward to the 2026 offseason, and the Broncos re-signed J.K. Dobbins to a two-year deal and beefed up their running back room by drafting Washington running back Jonah Coleman (RB – DEN), who scored 27 touchdowns his last two years in college.

These moves would imply the Broncos aren’t ready to give RJ Harvey an expanded role in 2026.

But, should they?

My question for the Broncos is: Is RJ Harvey a buy-low in fantasy?

Yes, the Broncos re-signed Dobbins and drafted Jonah Coleman, but do those moves hurt or help Harvey? Of course, adding a running back to the room could potentially cause another running back to lose touches — but is Coleman taking touches away from RJ Harvey or J.K. Dobbins?

When you compare their running styles, body type, and speed, Jonah Coleman is more like J.K. Dobbins and not like RJ Harvey. Broncos assistant GM Reed Burckhardt was quoted as saying this about Jonah Coleman: “a physical, downhill runner” who “fits our style, fits what we have in our running back group right now.” He also said the comparison between Coleman and J.K. Dobbins was “very valid.”

As we know, J.K. Dobbins’ career has been altered by injuries. Since being drafted in 2020, Dobbins has played a total of 47 games, and in two of his six seasons he’s missed 10 or more games. Dobbins hasn’t been healthy for an entire season since his rookie year.

I’m not saying Dobbins is bad, but as the saying goes, “the best ability is availability” — and Dobbins has shown that he’s not always available. That’s why I believe Denver drafted Jonah Coleman not to replace RJ Harvey, but as the future replacement for J.K. Dobbins.

We’ve seen that the age of the workhorse running back isn’t as prominent as it once was, and while having one is nice, the one-two punch running back systems are better for offenses and great for fantasy!

Sean Payton is notorious for using a two-back system. In his 15 years with the New Orleans Saints, a running back had 200 or more rushing attempts just five times. However, he has eight instances where multiple running backs had 150 or more touches (2006-2009, 2011 and 2013, 2017 and 2018, and 2023). Here are some quotes from Sean Payton on running a two-back system:

“I understand the committee. I’m used to having two running backs. We’re going to have more than just one back. We’re going to stack that position group. It’s too hard in our league to play with just one — rarely does a team do it. Occasionally, it happens.” — Sean Payton, end-of-season press conference, 2024

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