The Jonah Coleman hype train has officially left the station, and it’s picking up speed fast.
We flagged him early, tabbed him as a headliner in our “Early Week 2 Waiver Wire Stashes” article before Week 1 even kicked off, then circled back to him in the “Other Handcuff RBs Worth Rostering” section of our Week 2 Waiver Wire. Turns out the hype was earned. Once the injury bug hit both J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, Coleman didn’t just fill in, he cashed in.
His long-term role is still TBD, but even a short stretch as Denver’s lead back hands him real fantasy upside. Coleman punctuated his breakout with three catches on three targets for 19 yards, flashing the vision, pass protection, and receiving chops that could keep him on the field for all three downs, giving him a chance to get on the field if either Dobbins or Harvey is out of the lineup.
Here’s why Jonah Coleman belongs near the top of your Week 3 Waiver Wire targets.
Jonah Coleman Breaks Out in True NFL Debut
Sunday was chaos in the Broncos backfield. RJ Harvey sat out Week 2 with a hamstring injury, and J.K. Dobbins left early with one of his own. Coleman made the most of it, carrying the ball 10 times for 39 yards and a touchdown while hauling in all three of his targets for 19 yards in a 20-13 win over Jacksonville.
After scoring the go-ahead touchdown, the rookie looked like a vet, sliding down to ice the game.
“We work on four-minute (situations), but that certainly didn’t feel like a rookie series,” Sean Payton said. “He came up big, and we needed it.”
Talk about a 180. After a strong camp and preseason, the rookie was nearly invisible in Week 1 (three snaps, zero touches); Coleman exploded in Week 2, leading the team in rushing and scoring the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The circumstances mattered, obviously. But if either hamstring injury lingers, Coleman could be the single best waiver add on the board this week.
Who Is Jonah Coleman?
Picture a bowling ball wearing cleats because that’s Coleman at 5-foot-8, roughly 220 pounds. He runs with power but catches well enough to stay on the field on passing downs.
He followed head coach Jed Fisch from Arizona to Washington, thriving at both West Coast schools. What sets him apart from other bruising backs is ball security paired with receiving ability. He had just one fumble on 396 career touches. He also caught 31 passes for 354 yards in 2025 and looked at ease running underneath routes, which gives offensive coordinators a reason to trust him on obvious passing downs. Pass protection is still a work in progress, though the effort against blitzers is there.
His college tape backs up the profile. In 2023 at Arizona, Coleman earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 honors, leading the team with 871 rushing yards on 128 carries (6.8 YPC) while tying for the team lead with 5 rushing touchdowns; he also caught 25 passes for 283 yards and a score across 13 games (5 starts).
He followed Fisch to Washington in 2024 and picked up right where he left off, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors after leading the team with 1,053 rushing yards on 193 carries (5.5 YPC) and 10 rushing touchdowns, while adding 23 catches for 177 yards in all 13 games. In 2025, Coleman again earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, leading the team with 758 rushing yards on 156 carries (4.9 YPC) and a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns, plus 31 catches for 354 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns across 12 games.
His floor is a steady early-down grinder capable of 15-20 touches a game without putting the ball on the turf. His ceiling is a true three-down back for an offense that values patience over pure speed. Surprisingly, he fell to the fourth round in the draft. Still, that didn’t stop me from ranking Coleman RB3 in my Dynasty Rookie Rankings.
Jonah Coleman Fantasy Outlook: Week 3 Waiver Wire Add?
If both RJ Harvey and the injury-prone J.K. Dobbins are out in Week 3, Coleman instantly becomes a plug-and-play start against the Rams.
Even a Dobbins-only absence gives Coleman a real path to leading the backfield in carries while chipping in as a receiver and stealing looks near the goal line.
And if both veterans do suit up? Coleman is still a must-roster handcuff while this backfield sorts itself out.
“I think all three of those players we’re discussing can be bell cows, handle a majority of the carries,” Payton said. “Yes, I think there’s a lot ahead of us this week relative to who our runners are going to be.”
Coleman’s first career touchdown came right after Dobbins exited with his hamstring injury. If Dobbins can’t go in Week 3, Coleman becomes a viable RB2 option in most formats. Bottom line: if he’s sitting on your waiver wire, go get him.
Coleman currently sits at RB37 (+3 vs. ECR) on The Wolf’s updated Rest of Season Rankings.
