Jonah Coleman enters on second drive, plays well

Legwold writes that the fourth-round rookie is “squarely in the backfield rotation” for the Broncos. Coleman possesses a three-down skill set that could open the door for him to eat into both J.K. Dobbins’ and RJ Harvey’s roles, but fantasy managers shouldn’t rush to put him in their lineups at this time. Dobbins is still considered the favorite to lead the Broncos in early-down touches to start the season, with most of Harvey’s looks coming on third down and in passing situations. That said, Coleman is one of the higher upside stashes at his position who could prove to have top-24 upside or better at some point this season.

Coleman’s physicality jumps off the screen. The sturdy rookie running back effectively wielded a spin move to shed defenders on multiple plays after he took the field for the Broncos’ second drive. The Broncos could end up using a three-player rotation, but Coleman’s three-down skill set and consistent coaching praise make him a must-stash player in 12-team leagues.

Nix looked mobile and eager to chuck it downfield. He even had a few overthrows, which we suppose is a good thing for a quarterback who spent the offseason rehabbing an ankle injury. The Broncos quarterback linked up with new WR Jaylen Waddle for a 35-yard gain down the seam and targeted WR Courtland Sutton a couple of times along the sideline. He found tonight’s starting RB RJ Harvey speeding down the right side of the field on a wheel route, and linked up with the second-year running back for a 21-yard touchdown to conclude the first drive. New OC Davis Webb regularly dialed up play action, which is great for fantasy purposes. Nix looks like a low-end QB1.

It sure seems like Coleman is going to have a real role in the Broncos muddy backfield from the start of the season on. Coleman had four carries for 24 yards in the first quarter. His ascendance could cap ceilings for JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey assuming all three backs are healthy. Coleman’s worthy of a roster spot in most 12-team leagues at this point.

It’s hardly a surprise after head coach Sean Payton told beat writers Dobbins would be “fine” after he left Monday with the unspecified injury. Dobbins profiles as the Broncos’ lead back who will probably cede pass-catching duties to RJ Harvey once again in 2026. Rookie RB Jonah Coleman would be an interesting fantasy add if Dobbins, 27, misses any time in 2026. Dobbins last season missed nine games with a foot sprain.

We’re still looking for more clarity here, but Payton did say after practice that he thinks Dobbins is “gonna be fine” and that the team is “trying to be smart with it.” Given Dobbins’ injury history, it makes sense for the team to want to approach any minor issues with caution as they look to get through training camp and into Week 1. Dobbins rushed for 153-772-4 in 10 games with the Broncos last season and signed a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason. He’s expected to serve as their primary lead back, while RJ Harvey will continue to see a role in the passing game. If Dobbins were to miss time, rookie Jonah Coleman could be tasked with stepping in to fill his role.

Coleman has been noted to be a passing-down consideration instantly — he’s essentially ticketed to fill Tyler Badie’s role from last year per Evans — but the idea that he could get in on short-yardage work is pretty interesting. It’s hard to believe that Coleman will have major fantasy value right away — if at all — this season. But that’s more about the lack of snaps in play than about Coleman’s talent. A Dobbins injury could lead to more Coleman carries than RJ Harvey-reliant managers would like.

“I think we’ll see Harvey make a big jump in Year 2, even as he elbows for room in a more crowded backfield,” Kosmider writes. Harvey is definitely one of the more interesting bets on the board — his ADP is slightly ahead of backfield mate J.K. Dobbins, but well outside of the top 50 overall. It’s worth noting that Harvey did crush as a receiver already last year as he posted a 47/356/5 line, so we already know he can be a high-efficiency winner in this offense. Still, with Jonah Coleman potentially elbowing his way into the third-down mix and Dobbins back, Harvey does have some low-floor results in his range of outcomes.

Per Evans, Coleman has been “heavily involved in the Broncos’ passing game,” flashing the necessary “open-field burst to be a threat on screen passes and choice routes out of the backfield.” Coleman (5'8/220) also possesses “enough stockiness to chip rushers on obvious passing downs.” Veteran RB J.K. Dobbins is set to handle primary rushing duties. Second-year RB RJ Harvey is practicing in a limited capacity following offseason shoulder surgery. Harvey is the incumbent receiving back and will ostensibly be given the chance to fend off Coleman in training camp. Three-player backfields typically create fantasy-unfriendly situations. If Coleman forces a timeshare on passing downs, it will be tough for him and Harvey to produce reliably. If one player can separate from the other, he could offer PPR FLEX value. This is worth following closely in training camp.

This one certainly slipped through the cracks. Harvey reportedly “hasn’t done much team work in OTAs but has been practicing,” according to Evans. While we don’t know when Harvey underwent the surgery, it presumably occurred shortly after the loss to the Patriots, so we would expect him to be at the tail end of his recovery. The second-year back totaled 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in his rookie season, but he will face competition for touches this season with J.K. Dobbins returning and rookie Jonah Coleman now added to the mix. In games that both Harvey and Dobbins played in last season, Harvey averaged just 7.9 opportunities per game compared to the 17.9 opps/gm he saw in games he missed, with Dobbins handling the majority of the rushing work. Hopefully Harvey will be good to go when training camp kicks off next month, but this will be something worth watching until we have received word that he is fully healthy and ready to go.