J.K. Dobbins Back In Denver To Cap R.J. Harvey's Ceiling

By Jared Smola | Updated on Mon, Mar 9 2026 7:51 PM UTC

The Broncos are nearing an agreement to re-sign RB J.K. Dobbins, according to beat writer Zac Stevens. Dobbins ran for 772 yards and four TDs on 5.0 yards per carry across 10 games for Denver last year. His season ended in Week 10 with a foot injury that required surgery, although it seemed like Dobbins had a chance to make it back had the Broncos reached the Super Bowl.

2026 Fantasy Football Impact

We'll look for updates on Dobbins' recovery from that foot injury, but we're not expecting it to impact his 2026 season. (The Broncos probably wouldn't have re-signed Dobbins this early in the calendar if they were worried.)

Dobbins spent the first 10 games of last season out-working and out-producing RB R.J. Harvey on the ground. Harvey held the edge in the passing game. Here were the totals:

	Dobbins	harvey
Carries	153	50
Rush Yards	772	214
Yards Per Carry	5.0	4.3
Rush TDs	4	2
Targets	14	29
Catches	11	25
Receiving Yards	37	175
Receiving TDs	0	4
Expected PPR Points Per Game	11.0	7.4
Actual PPR Points Per Game	11.6	10.0

Dobbins also beat Harvey in virtually any rushing efficiency metric you can find last year. In fact, the veteran ranked top 15 among 51 qualifiers in:

Yards per carry
Rush yards over expected per attempt
Yards after contact per attempt
Missed tackles forced per attempt

Harvey finished outside the top 30 in all four of those metrics.

It's certainly worth noting that Harvey is a 25-year-old entering his second NFL season, while Dobbins is a 27-year-old, six-year veteran with a lengthy injury history. One guy should theoretically still be on the ascent; the other could be reaching decline stage.

But Dobbins is at least a good bet to play a significant ball-carrying role for the Broncos again in 2026. And it's very possible that he out-carries Harvey for a second straight season, barring injury.

Harvey is a virtual lock to dominate passing-down work, which -- in addition to his age -- makes him the higher upside fantasy bet. But it's tough to like either guy as more than a RB3 in fantasy drafts right now.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and in-season tools. He currently ranks ninth among 173 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.