Fifth. Are we seriously joking? The Denver Broncos have to be punking us, right?
They drafted RJ Harvey in the second round in the draft and he currently has an ADP of 86. And then the Broncos depth chart comes out and Harvey is listed and the fifth running back.
If you want to divest your shares of Harvey, please let me know. I’ll be happy to take him off your hands. By all means, jump JK Dobbins (ADP of 119) ahead of Harvey. But you are here, reading this article, so I know you are smarter than that.
It also helps, that the fantasy season is 17 weeks long. We go big here, so the assumption is that we are all going straight to the Championship Game. Talent wins out, so don’t overreact to Harvey’s placement on the depth chart.
Thus far in Training Camp, Harvey has been running as the second back behind just Dobbins. That makes sense as the veteran certainly has the track record and pedigree. But it’s Harvey who’s more talented. And the depth chart, that’s just paperwork as Harvey is a rookie.
Dobbins enters the season healthy after having a strong 2024 season. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry while picking up 905 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. Both his average yards after contact (2.9) and broken tackle rate (17.9%) were above average. While he is a good pass blocker, Dobbins is a non-factor in the receiving game catching 32 passes but for just 153 yards.
For as good as that was, Dobbins is still the placeholder until the more explosive Harvey can take over. Additionally, Dobbins’ track record doesn’t necessarily lock in on him staying healthy.
The other likely factor, and the lone returning running back from last year, is Jaleel McLaughlin. He did average 4.4 yards per carry while having occasional flashes last year, but McLaughlin only scored one touchdown and truly didn’t make much of an impact. McLaughlin only added 76 receiving yards with two more touchdowns so he likely shouldn’t stand in Harvey’s way.
And after digging into Harvey’s career in college at Central Florida, it’s hard not to get excited. In his last three seasons, Harvey averaged a staggering 6.6 yards per carry gaining 3,789 yards on 576 carries. That production came in 38 games as he found the end zone 43 times. To show that he’s not a one-dimensional option, Harvey also caught 61 of 79 targets for an explosive 720 yards and five touchdowns.
Dobbins is still a proven veteran with a track record and Harvey is a rookie. Adjusting to life in the NFL, and all of the responsibilities of a running back, is not easy. It takes time and we have to be patient. However, Dobbins isn’t a player that will truly stand in the way of Harvey if excels. There’s also enough room here for both to have fantasy value.
However, it’s all about the talent and that’s what I’m chasing with Harvey. He hasn’t received as much attention as other rookies, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he finished the 2025 as the best rookie running back.
