RJ Harvey was a key component of the Denver Broncos offense as a rookie and that doesn’t project to change in 2026. Sean Payton and his staff seem to have a clear idea of what they want from their second-year running back in his sophomore campaign.
Denver’s plan for the former Central Florida standout is not for him to suddenly become a workhorse behind quarterback Bo Nix. Instead, they seem to want him to blossom into one of the most dynamic pass-catching running backs in the league. He racked up 47 catches for 356 yards last year, and those numbers should continue to climb this year.
RJ Harvey still won’t be the Broncos’ lead running back
Broncos fans and fantasy managers should expect JK Dobbins to continue to serve as Denver’s No. 1 running back in terms of rushing attempts. His slashing running style is a good fit for the Broncos’ offensive system. Payton likes his ability to knife through opposing defenses and pick up the sort of medium gains that keep the chains moving.
That leaves Harvey to play a sort of “Alvin Kamara lite” for the Broncos. He might prefer to get more touches in the conventional running game, but Denver is committed to their two-back approach for the foreseeable future. That leaves Dobbins as the superior runner and Harvey as the better receiver out of the backfield.
The key for Harvey in 2026 will be to diversify his route tree. That would help him boost his pass route success rate, which was only 50% last season. He already excels at turning short passes into long gains, but Nix and the offense could benefit massively from finding ways to target Harvey on deeper routes.
If he can find a way to attack the seams on a consistent basis it’s going to cause opposing defensive coordinators a lot of stress. That ability can also help open up the middle of the field for the rest of Denver’s receiving corps to jab opposing secondaries on the underneath routes that Nix throws well.
Should fantasy football managers be worried about RJ Harvey?
Fantasy owners hoping Harvey could serve as an underrated RB 1 need to disabuse themselves of that notion. He simply will not get the rushing volume required to produce those sorts of results in any sort of conventional league.
He can still offer some upsde as an RB2 for fantasy owners who believe the Broncos offense will continue to function at a high level. That seems like a good bet with Payton remaining on the sideline. He may not be calling plays for the Broncos, but his fingerprints will still be all over the offense from a week-to-week basis.
That sets Harvey up with a chance to catch 75 balls out of the backfield this year. That total will make him a good RB2 even if his rushing totals stay relatively modest. He has good fantasy value for owners who keep their expectations in line.
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