After topping 570 scrimmage yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin's production took a step back in 2025. Across eight games, the 25-year-old recorded 214 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 41 touches. McLaughlin was a healthy scratch on game day for much of the first half of the season, as he was stuck behind J.K. Dobbins (foot), RJ Harvey, and Tyler Badie on the Broncos' running back depth chart. McLaughlin got more opportunities to play down the stretch after Dobbins went down in Week 11 with a foot injury. Dobbins is now set to hit free agency, which could open up a path to playing time for McLaughlin in Denver. However, Harvey emerged as the team's lead back in 2025 after Dobbins went down and looks like the Broncos' clear RB1 of the future. For his career, McLaughlin is averaging fewer than seven touches per game and looks more like a complementary, change-of-pace back than a fantasy-relevant workhorse.
Feb 26, 2026 11:19 AM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin should continue to be the primary change-of-pace back behind rookie RJ Harvey, with J.K. Dobbins remaining on Injured Reserve after a week of limited practices. In Denver's Divisional Round win over a Bills team that came into the playoffs with one of the worst run defenses in the league, McLaughlin was able to turn four carries into 21 yards. In the Conference Championship, he'll face a Patriots defense that has been dominant against the run since Milton Williams' return from an ankle injury that cost him five games. Through two playoff games, New England has allowed a total of 74 yards on designed runs, so if McLaughlin is to find any success on Sunday, it may need to come through screens and checkdowns, though that is a role that's been owned by Harvey for most of the year. McLaughlin is RotoBaller's RB7 for the week, but there is a world where he is entirely phased out of the game script.
Jan 24, 2026 7:55 PM EST
Denver running back Jaleel McLaughlin totaled 21 yards on four touches in the Broncos' overtime win over the Bills in the Divisional Round. With the team opening the practice window of J.K. Dobbins (foot) ahead of the AFC Championship Game, McLaughlin may see even fewer touches against a Patriots defense that has been dominant against the run through two playoff games. Outside of quarterback scrambles, New England has allowed a total of 74 rushing yards through two games. Regardless of whether Dobbins can return from his Week 10 foot injury, McLaughlin and rookie RJ Harvey already face a daunting task, and an additional mouth to feed could serve to remove McLaughlin from the gameplan entirely.
Jan 21, 2026 2:09 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin was only active for eight games in 2025 and didn't make his season debut until Week 6. It wasn't until after J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury that McLaughlin started to really become a factor in Denver's backfield in Week 11. The 25-year-old finished his third year in the NFL with a career-low 37 carries for 187 yards (5.1 yards per tote) and one touchdown, adding four catches for 27 yards. Head coach Sean Payton continues to say that he'd like to get McLaughlin more work, but it has been rookie RJ Harvey who has been the Broncos' clear lead back. To close out the regular season, McLaughlin had 13 carries for 81 yards on the ground while adding a 17-yard catch in two wins against the Chiefs and Chargers. The Broncos have a bye in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this weekend, but at best, McLaughlin will be a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex option in playoff leagues.
Jan 9, 2026 8:09 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin has been more involved in Denver's offense since J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending foot injury, but it hasn't exactly given him legitimate standalone value in fantasy football. The 25-year-old had a season-high seven rushing attempts for a season-high 40 yards (5.7 yards per carry) in the Christmas Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs while playing a season-high 22% of the snaps. It was a bigger workload for McLaughlin, but rookie RJ Harvey still had double the carries for 43 yards and caught five of six targets for 33 yards and a touchdown in Week 17. Head coach Sean Payton is going to keep McLaughlin involved as the Broncos look to spark their ground game, but he's going to remain in a complementary role behind Harvey, who is the better all-around athlete. He'll be hard to trust as a flex option in Week 18 against the Chargers, even in deeper leagues.
Dec 30, 2025 11:06 PM EST
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton hinted earlier this week that more work could be on the way for running back Jaleel McLaughlin, according to Jon Heath of Broncos Wire. "We're doing it in third-down situations with Tyler Badie and Adam Prentice," Payton said. "Jaleel, I probably need to get him a little bit more touches. I made that note after the game. Again, RJ Harvey is built in a way where he can handle a good dose of running." Harvey injured his ribs late in Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers, but he's fine and ready to go for Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Harvey has had as many as 23 touches in a game since J.K. Dobbins' season-ending injury, while McLaughlin has had a high of seven. He had only two carries in Week 15. McLaughlin will probably be a little more involved to close out the season, but make no mistake, Harvey is Denver's RB1.
Dec 19, 2025 12:28 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin has been buried on Denver's RB depth chart for most of the year. He's been active in only five games in 2025, handling 19 carries for 69 yards (career-low 3.6 yards per carry) while catching three of his four targets for 10 yards. The 25-year-old played only nine offensive snaps (13% snap share) in Sunday's victory over the Green Bay Packers, carrying the ball two times for four yards. McLaughlin has been on the fantasy watch list going into Week 16, though, with rookie RJ Harvey leaving the Week 15 contest late due to a rib injury. Harvey returned to a full practice on Wednesday and is expected to be fine for Week 16 this Sunday against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, but his injury is a reminder that McLaughlin would be the likely next man up as Denver's lead back if anything were to happen to Harvey. McLaughlin is handcuff-worthy in deeper fantasy formats, and he's rostered in just 2% of Yahoo leagues.
Dec 17, 2025 9:47 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin played second fiddle to rookie running back RJ Harvey in Week 15's 34-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers, as he only had two rushes for four yards and played 13 percent of the snaps in the game. At this time, McLaughlin, at best, is a handcuff to Harvey fantasy managers as over the past four games that Harvey has taken over as the lead back after J.K. Dobbins (foot) was injured, McLaughlin has earned a total of 18 carries for 69 yards (3.83 YPC), and is playing only 15 percent of the snaps, which provides no standalone fantasy value outside of being a safety net for Harvey fantasy managers. If you do not own Harvey on your team, it makes no sense to roster McLaughlin for the final few weeks of the fantasy season.
Dec 15, 2025 10:12 AM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin was inactive for nine out of his team's first 10 games of the 2025 season. However, the 25-year-old has been pressed into a more prominent role in recent weeks after Denver lost veteran running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending foot injury in Week 10. Across the team's last three games, McLaughlin has recorded 75 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 19 touches. Broncos rookie back RJ Harvey has taken over the RB1 in Denver, which limits McLaughlin's upside. However, McLaughlin could now be one injury away from stepping into a lead role in the Broncos' backfield. In leagues with 12 or more teams, fantasy managers should consider stashing McLaughlin in a bench spot for his handcuff upside. Over the next three weeks, Denver will take on the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Dec 9, 2025 10:03 PM EST
For the second straight game in Sunday night's overtime win over the Washington Commanders, Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin served as the team's No. 2 RB with J.K. Dobbins (foot) out for the year. McLaughlin played only 19% of the offensive snaps and had seven total touches for the second straight game. His six rushing attempts (24 yards) were second on the team behind rookie RJ Harvey's 13 carries (35 yards). Harvey wasn't efficient (2.7 yards per tote), but he found the end zone twice. Although McLaughlin's snap count was his highest of the year, he was outsnapped by Harvey, Tyler Badie, and Adam Prentice. Before Denver's Week 12 bye, McLaughlin had six carries for 19 yards and his first touchdown of the year in the Week 11 win over the Chiefs. The 25-year-old's limited usage is likely to continue going into a Week 14 divisional clash with the Raiders, making him only a deep-league stash for RB depth. McLaughlin is currently rostered in only 2% of Yahoo leagues.
Dec 2, 2025 12:49 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin totaled just six offensive snaps and one carry all season before Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs. McLaughlin played just eight offensive snaps in the game, but handled six carries for 19 yards and a touchdown while adding one catch (one target) for negative five yards. Rookie R.J. Harvey operated as the clear lead back, playing 60.7% of the snaps and recording 14 touches, but McLaughlin outcarried him two to one inside the 10-yard line and found the end zone. Head coach Sean Payton praised the 25-year-old after the game and said that he will be "important down the stretch." With J.K. Dobbins (foot) likely out for the year and Tyler Badie mostly operating on passing downs, McLaughlin should play a key role in Denver's backfield for the remainder of the season and could be the preferred goal-line option, giving him value in deeper leagues.
Nov 27, 2025 9:44 AM EST
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that running back Jaleel McLaughlin had a number of good runs in the team's big Week 11 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and pointed to him "being important down the stretch," per Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. McLaughlin played only 13% of the offensive snaps before the team's Week 12 bye and had six carries for 19 yards, but he did find the end zone for the first time this year in just his second game played. Rookie RJ Harvey is expected to lead Denver's backfield the rest of the way with J.K. Dobbins (foot) done for the year, but it sounds like McLaughlin is going to have a bigger role to close out 2025. At the very least, McLaughlin could become the Broncos' preferred goal-line back, which would give him streaming appeal in deeper leagues as a touchdown-dependent option. McLaughlin is currently rostered in 1% of Yahoo leagues.
Nov 24, 2025 12:48 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is ascending into a deep-league fantasy option as he heads into a Week 12 bye. After J.K. Dobbins (foot) was placed on IR, the 25-year-old went from being a healthy scratch to the backup in Denver, where he handled six carries and a reception last week. He was relatively inefficient (3.2 YPC), but he did score a touchdown and averaged more yards per carry than R.J. Harvey. As a result of the touchdown, he salvaged his fantasy performance and had low-end value in deeper leagues. He should build on this momentum with a larger role in Week 13, assuming he earns more snaps in the Broncos' backfield timeshare. Harvey remains the primary ball-carrier, but McLaughlin is suddenly on the fantasy radar as a mid-range RB4 and potential deep-league streamer going forward.
Nov 20, 2025 12:54 AM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin should be in a key timeshare for the surging Broncos for the next several weeks after the significant injury to J.K. Dobbins (foot). McLaughlin had only been active for one game and had just one carry all season until last week against the Chiefs, when he took six carries for 19 yards and scored a touchdown while also catching the one pass thrown his direction. McLaughlin played just eight snaps (13%) while rookie RJ Harvey played 38 snaps (61%), but McLaughlin had almost as many carries, a better average, and the only rushing score of the game for Denver. The Broncos are on a bye this week, but when they return, McLaughlin and Harvey will have a favorable Week 13 matchup against the Commanders. He should remain in enough of a role to be worth owning in standard-sized leagues, and he also has more upside if he claims more of the available work after the bye.
Nov 18, 2025 10:20 AM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin saw an increased role during Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. McLaughlin has been a healthy scratch throughout most of the season, but is likely to see an expanded role going forward. The Broncos are going to be without J.K. Dobbins (foot) for the foreseeable future, so McLaughlin will likely see more touches. He carried the ball six times for 19 yards and scored a touchdown in the Week 11 win. McLaughlin won't be worth adding with the team on bye in Week 12, but is someone to keep an eye on going forward. He could see a handful of carries on a weekly basis.
Nov 17, 2025 9:41 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is expected to carve out a significant role on offense after J.K. Dobbins (foot) was placed on injured reserve and ruled out for the rest of the season. At first glance, it would seem that McLaughlin, who has been a healthy scratch in nine of 10 games this season, will merely slot into the No. 3 running back role and fail to play meaningful snaps. However, in reality, he's expected to operate behind R.J. Harvey as a change-of-pace back, while Tyler Badie plays passing downs. McLaughlin's rushing ability earned the praise of head coach Sean Payton, who said that the running back is "ready" despite being a healthy scratch for most of the year. McLaughlin has shown flashes of upside before, such as when he handled 26 carries over the final two weeks of last season. The 25-year-old is capable of handling moderate volume, and he's an appealing deep-league stash in case the Broncos rotate him in to avoid putting too much wear on tear on Harvey, who is a rookie.
Nov 16, 2025 9:42 AM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is poised for more opportunities in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs with J.K. Dobbins (foot) out for the foreseeable future. Head coach Sean Payton said that McLaughlin is "ready" when asked what he's seen from the 25-year-old behind the scenes despite having been a healthy inactive for nine of 10 games this season. Rookie R.J. Harvey will likely handle a bigger workload with Dobbins sidelined, with McLaughlin in a change-of-pace role while Tyler Badie continues to play mostly on pass downs. It's tough to predict exactly how the touches will be distributed on Sunday versus the Chiefs, but McLaughlin is expected to be a part of the plan to some extent. He could be worth a speculative add in deeper leagues to see how the backfield roles play out on Sunday.
Nov 15, 2025 1:40 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin is a healthy scratch for his team's Week 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts. McLaughlin was also inactive in Week 1, so this decision from the team does not necessarily come as a surprise. Without McLaughlin, Denver will roll with the running back trio of J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Tyler Badie.
Sep 14, 2025 2:40 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin will be a healthy scratch for his team's Week 1 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Without McLaughlin, Denver's running back trio in the season opener will likely be J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Tyler Badie. McLaughlin has played in 33 games for the Broncos over the past two seasons. Without him in the lineup, Badie may see a bit more work as the change of pace back to Dobbins and Harvey.
Sep 7, 2025 2:37 PM EST
Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin put his best foot forward in Saturday's preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals in his attempt to win a 53-man roster spot. In the 27-7 win over Arizona in the second preseason game, McLaughlin had only three carries, but it was enough to lead the team in rushing with 48 yards. The 24-year-old's second rushing attempt of the contest went for a game-high 35 yards. McLaughlin entered the game after both rookie RJ Harvey and Tyler Badie, suggesting he's the RB4 on the current depth chart going into the final week of the preseason. He's been an effective complementary option in his two years in the NFL, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, but the additions of Harvey and J.K. Dobbins in the offseason made things even more difficult for McLaughlin to have a sizeable role in 2025.
Aug 17, 2025 11:31 AM EST
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