Per Schefter, RB Jonah Coleman will miss at least four games with the high-ankle sprain he sustained in the Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars. Coleman had 10 carries for 39 yards, 3 catches for 19 yards, and 1 rushing TD. Coleman filled in for the inactive R.J. Harvey (hamstring) and stepped up after starter J.K. Dobbins left in the 3rd quarter due to a hamstring injury.
Coleman is expected back for the Week 7 game at the Arizona Cardinals. Until then, the Broncos backfield will be led by the tandem of veteran Dobbins and 2nd-year pass-catching specialist Harvey, with Tyler Badie rounding out the depth. Fantasy football managers can continue to stash Coleman, PlayerProfiler’s RB 53 in seasonal-redraft, on (deeper) benches, especially if they have an available IR slot. ~Jason Diaz
Denver Broncos rookie fourth-round running back Jonah ...
There was a lot of offseason buzz around Denver Broncos ...
Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman will enter...
It’s a case of unfortunate timing for rookie running back Jonah Coleman, who looked poised to seize control of Denver’s backfield after a strong performance in last week’s win, only to miss Thursday’s practice due to an ankle injury. In corresponding news, opening-day starter J.K. Dobbins and second-year back RJ Harvey both practiced in full and are expected to lead the backfield Sunday against the Rams.
Through two weeks, Dobbins and Harvey have struggled to find traction. Coincidentally, they both rank 41st in Playerprofiler’s yards created metric with 52, though Harvey’s sample size is significantly smaller on just three carries compared to Dobbins’ 18. Harvey profiles as the higher-upside back, boasting a 96th-percentile college dominator rating (44%), and while he has out snapped Dobbins so far (53% to 35.8%), he has yet to translate that usage into consistent fantasy production. Assuming Coleman sits, veteran Tyler Badie is expected to step into the RB3 role, though he remains primarily a depth piece.
Tom Pelissero later revealed that J.K. Dobbins is “good” after leaving Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. Jonah Coleman will be a popular waiver wire add with both Dobbins and RJ Harvey recovering from hamstring injuries. Coleman can be expected to see 15 plus touches per game as long as both of them are OUT.
Expect to see Tyler Badie function as the 3rd down back until Harvey returns, which provides Coleman with the lucrative early down and short-yardage role, making him a flex play if Dobbins and Harvey are inactive for Week 3.
RB R.J. Harvey hurt his hamstring during or immediately after the Week 1 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he had 3 carries for 18 yards and 4 receptions for 23 yards. Harvey missed Wednesday’s practice and was a limited participant on Thursday and Friday and will miss today’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This situation creates opportunity for 4th-Round rookie RB Jonah Coleman, as Harvey played 51% of the offensive snaps in Week 1, while starting RB J.K. Dobbins only played 40% as the Broncos flipped over into comeback mode. Coleman has the pass blocking chops to slip into Harvey’s satellite back role, but starter Dobbins will also absorb some of Harvey’s snaps and is a Top-20 RB on PlayerProfiler for Week 2. ~Jason Diaz
Even if RJ Harvey plays, fantasy managers face a fragile projection after his seven-touch performance and two limited practices. Denver can easily pivot in this backfield to JK Dobbins and rookie Jonah Coleman.
Treat Harvey as a risky deep league flex option until we see a stable workload.
The Broncos have Jonah Coleman squarely in the backfield rotation, with ESPN’s Jeff Legwold expecting the rookie to “get plenty of work” this season. Coleman brings a three down skill set that gives him a path to siphon touches from J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, while PlayerProfiler gives Coleman a 92nd percentile College Target Share and 90th percentile College Yards Per Carry.
Dobbins remains the favorite for early down work and Harvey projects for passing down opportunities, but Coleman’s versatility gives Sean Payton a reason to expand the rotation. Coleman is not a Week 1 lineup lock, but he is the kind of rookie stash who can turn a crowded backfield into a fantasy profit center by midseason. Currently PlayerProfilers RB30.
