Denver Broncos' backfield shaping up to be fantasy football nightmare

Denver Broncos' backfield shaping up to be fantasy football nightmare originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Denver Broncos' backfield was already setting up to be a frustrating situation for fantasy football owners in 2026, just as it was in 2025, but rookie running back Jonah Coleman might complicate things even further.

Fellow running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey are firmly in the two spots at the top of the depth chart, but Coleman has apparently shown enough to warrant "plenty of work" in his first season, also.

Here's the latest from ESPN's Jeff Legwold:

"It took only one 13-yard run in the preseason opener for coach Sean Payton to see all he needed to see. Coleman is squarely in the backfield rotation and will get plenty of work," Legwold wrote.

Coleman's 13-yard run came in preseason Week 1, and while he did see work in the second preseason game, head coach Sean Payton said he didn't need to see more following the first exhibition contest, which is why he pulled the rookie early.

"I didn't need to see additional evidence of what I've been seeing for three weeks," Payton told reporters.

Payton's positive comment is just one of many he has heaped upon Coleman during the offseason. It's quite clear the Broncos head coach has plans for his new back.

While Coleman is clearly going to be involved, fantasy owners should not be running to grab him early or even midway through drafts.

Dobbins is likely to lead the backfield, with Harvey mixing in more often than Coleman, including on third downs.

However, we know that Dobbins has had plenty of injury woes during his career, so there is absolutely a path for Harvey or Coleman to take over lead-back duties.

If it's between those two at any point, and for any reason, the Broncos will probably deploy a timeshare at first until a hot hand emerges.

When looking at the totality of the situation, fantasy owners would be wise to try and avoid this Broncos backfield if possible.

That said, if faced with the prospect of having to draft Broncos running backs, the order is Dobbins, Harvey and then Coleman, with the rookie being a handcuff addition for owners who invest in one of the first two.