RJ Harvey (knee) to be sidelined for Week 8 vs. KC

Whoa, that escalated quickly. Harvey reportedly suffered a knee injury in practice this week that initially caused the Broncos to rule him out for Week 8, with the team then making the procedural move of placing him on injured reserve Saturday. Harvey will now miss the next four games, at minimum, as he rehabs the injury, leaving rookie Jonah Coleman and veteran J.K. Dobbins to handle primary backfield duties with Tyler Badie also on injured reserve. Coleman warrants weekly FLEX status, at minimum.

Harvey was added to the injury report Thursday after being limited in practice due to a knee injury, something fantasy managers will want to monitor as the weekend approaches. Either way, Harvey now has two healthy backs to compete with for touches with the return of Jonah Coleman in Week 7, keeping him on the fringes of FLEX consideration entering a difficult matchup against the Chiefs.

He also noted that Coleman’s touches were explosive. It’s hard to sit here with much certainty about what looks to be a three-headed Broncos running back room where every back has their niche, but Coleman probably enters Week 8 as the favorite of the three to crack 10 touches. Payton added, for the 17th time since he became Broncos coach, that he needed to get more touches for Marvin Mims on offense. We’ll believe that when we see it.

Coleman returned to action after missing a month because of an ankle injury. He was immediately in the mix for touches and saw three opportunities before RJ Harvey got his first look. Coleman went on to lead the Broncos in carries. Both he and Harvey earned two targets apiece. Unfortunately for Coleman, he was the only Denver back who didn’t find the end zone in Week 7. Coleman has made a mess of a backfield that had just begun to stabilize. Now all three Denver backs will be low-end FLEX options for Week 8 versus the Chiefs.

Harvey only ran the ball three times for six yards. Jonah Coleman, who was active for the first time since Week 2, ran nine times and also caught a pair of passes. Harvey’s role took a hit, but he made the most of his limited opportunities with a 52-yard screen in the third quarter. Sean Payton’s play-call schemed half of the Cardinals’ defense out of the play and Harvey blew by the other half on his way to the end zone. Despite the spike week for fantasy managers, Harvey’s declining role will have him tumbling down the running back ranks for Week 8. He will be on the RB3/4 border versus Kansas City next week.

Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper is also active. Coleman hasn’t played since Week 2, when he turned 10 carries into 39 yards and a score. The Broncos were banged up at running back that week. They have since established a stable two-man rotation with JK Dobbins operating between the tackles and RJ Harvey handling passing downs. Coleman will likely take a backseat to those two this week.

Coleman missed the minimum four games as he tended to an ankle injury suffered in Week 2. He led the team in snaps in that contest and could return to the primary rushing role considering the inefficient play of J.K. Dobbins in his absence, making him worthy of a start in fantasy circles in a plus matchup against the Cardinals in his first game back.

Coleman practiced in full all week, but the Broncos could technically give him another week to rehab the ankle. If active, there are too many unknowns regarding Coleman’s potential workload to start him in the FLEX, but he must be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Coleman is trending toward returning for the Broncos’ Week 7 game against the Cardinals. His teammate, RB Tyler Badie (thumb), remains sidelined. Coleman makes for a risky start if active, but the Broncos’ coaching staff likes him. He should be rostered in 12-team formats.

Coleman can return to practice this week and the team now has 21 days to bring him off injured reserve. He could be back on the field as soon as Sunday. With the Broncos’ offense struggling and two backs already seeing work in the backfield, it’s hard to imagine Coleman having much fantasy value in his first game back. He’s worth stashing in deeper leagues, but it might be a while before fantasy managers want him in their lineups.