The era of hyperbole and hot takes makes the pre-summer fantasy grind a fun time. It’s the perfect time to kick back, unwind, and sip on a nice, cold glass of lemonade while reading some of the following takes on the Denver Broncos’ rookie RB RJ Harvey.
“The Broncos have a new quad-zilla on their team after drafting RJ Harvey.”
“RJ Harvey led NCAA in runs of 15+ yards across the 2023-24 seasons. More than Ashton Jeanty. He’s so good!”
Since being drafted to the Sean Payton fantasy running back factory, it could be said that no player has gotten more buzz than Harvey.
Despite standing only 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing around 205 pounds, Harvey posted strong broken tackle rates in back-to-back seasons. His 2023 broken tackle rate of 12.5% rose to 13.3%, putting him in the same range as behemoths like Omarion Hampton and Quinshon Judkins (13% for both).
In other words, Harvey doesn’t let his smaller stature define him.
Harvey might have the most boom to his game of any RB in the class. In 2025, 21% of his totes went at least 10 yards, first in the class. Other notable RB explosive run rates include:
- Bhayshul Tuten – 18%
- TreVeyon Henderson – 17.6%
- Ashton Jeanty – 16%
- Omarion Hampton/Quinshon Judkins – 15%
In other words, Harvey has some serious JUICE!
Harvey’s Fit In Sean Payton’s Fantasy Factory
Last season, Denver ranked fourth in targets to the RB position. At this point, it goes without saying how valuable targets at the RB position are for fantasy production.
As a runner, Harvey’s college production profile rivals Jeanty and Hampton.
His skill set makes him a perfect fit for Payton’s RB-friendly system.
Going into the dreadful 2024 season, Payton’s offenses have generated top-2-ranked backfields in 12 of his 17 years of calling plays. Nobody marries the run-and-pass games better than Payton.
Audric Estime did little to inspire confidence as a threat to the 70 targets and 200+ opportunities Williams vacated after signing with the Cowboys this offseason. While he didn’t just light his opportunities on fire like his backfield mate, Estime’s -0.4 fantasy points over expectation left fantasy hopefuls wanting more.
Jaleel McLaughlin‘s -5.9 FPOE just cheesed off fantasy players who were hoping to have a reason not to have to think about putting Williams (-28.5 FPOE) in their flex positions. Collectively, the RB room was a concern, and Payton needed to find a potential thoroughbred to hitch his wagon to.
While Harvey might not be a Secretariat-esque thoroughbred, I mean, really, who is? He’s still got enough horsepower to make a run at the RB Triple Crown!
While historically, Payton’s tendency to rely on committees would serve as a potential warning sign for Harvey, his lack of competition in the backfield suggests he’s going to handle a workload like the late-great Big Red.
Graham Barfield’s “Yards Created” write-up shows just how special Harvey was in college.
His 0.43 missed tackles forced per carry ranks third in the class behind Jeanty and Tuten. As a yards created prospect, Harvey is in an elite tier (88th percentile). Notable names ranking around Harvey, with their percentile ranks, include:
- Kareem Hunt – 90th percentile
- Christian McCaffrey – 89th percentile
- MarShawn Lloyd – 87th percentile
- Joe Williams – 86th percentile
- Javonte Williams – 85th percentile
- Dalvin Cook – 84th percentile
Being surrounded by three historical fantasy studs bodes well for Harvey’s prospects. But how well did he rank as a whole in creating for himself? You should probably not even bother trying to pick your jaw up off the floor.
Harvey averaged 5.67 yards created per attempt last season, trailing only Jeanty in this class and demolishing Tuten (5.25 YC/A), Hampton (5.08 YC/A), and Judkins (4.55 YC/A).
As a runner, Harvey created at least 5 yards on 41% of his carries. Meaning, he likely doesn’t even need a heavy dose of volume to produce, and after taking some time to learn the NFL game, he could be capable of gashing opposing defenses in any situation.
As a receiver, Harvey’s numbers are deceptively demure.
With each season, Harvey’s route totals, receiving yards per game, and avoided tackles per game all steadily increased.
In a recent deep dive by RotoViz, it was found that Harvey posted a 142.0 receiver rating in 2023 and followed it up with a 118.0 score, lining up closely with Jahmyr Gibbs.
In fact, comparing his production profile to past running backs, Harvey’s profile closely aligns with fantasy football legend Jamaal Charles.
The pairing with Payton is a fantasy dream, and as long as there are no unforeseen shake-ups in the RB room, he is in line for a heavy, fruitful workload in 2025. Harvey checks in at RB6 in our Dynasty Rookie Rankings and RB20 in The Wolf’s 2025 Fantasy Football Rankings.
