RJ Harvey was one of the biggest fantasy football risers following the 2025 NFL Draft, but second-year running back Audric Estime could steal some of the wind from his sails. Selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Estime had an unremarkable rookie season with just 310 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries. Due to this underwhelming debut and the departure of veteran Javonte Williams, most believed second-round pick RJ Harvey would easily claim the open starting job.
However, head coach Sean Payton’s latest comments suggest Audric Estime could earn a decent chunk of the work from RJ Harvey. In a recent interview, the one-time Super Bowl champion said that Estime is a running back that “requires enough touches” and that “he’s going to get those opportunities” in 2025.
Sean Payton: Audric Estime, RJ Harvey Will Split Touches
Payton’s History
Reading into any singular quote in the offseason can be dangerous, as optimism is always at a high during this team of the year. However, a deeper dive into Payton’s coaching history suggests he will run a two-back system if at all possible.
During his time with the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton always employed two running backs capable of being the thunder to the other’s lightning. While Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram are the most famous duo of that era, he also rotated Ingram with pass-catchers like Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, and Reggie Bush while adding Chris Ivory and Latavius Murray as early-down threats at various points of his coaching tenure.
The coach couldn’t replicate that during his two years in Denver, as he never had the talent at the position to execute his vision. However, with RJ Harvey and Audric Estime now on board, Payton could use his two-back set. The only question is how he will utilize these young talents.
Projecting Situation
RJ Harvey is currently the RB18 on FantasyCalc and generally goes off the board in the late first round in superflex rookie drafts. This implies the open market believes Harvey will receive a sizable workload right out of the gate, and he will be efficient with his opportunities. Unfortunately, that’s not a given with this backfield.
As mentioned above, Audric Estime has a good shot of eating into RJ Harvey’s workload. While nobody expected Harvey to receive 80% of the carries, Estime’s increased role could make this closer to a 50/50 split. If we look at the 2019 and 2020 New Orleans Saints (Payton’s last time with two reliable running backs), you can see that Alvin Kamara averaged 179 carries per season, while an aging Latavius Murray averaged 146 carries per season.
If we assume a similar split, Audric Estime can be a low-ceiling flex play next year, while RJ Harvey will need to be remarkably efficient to be anything more than an RB2. Kamara put up elite fantasy seasons despite relatively limited workloads, but he is one of the best talents of his generation, and it’s safe to assume Harvey will not match his level of play. Additionally, Jaleel McLaughlin is still in town and should see some work as a pass catcher.
Payton says he wants Audric Estime to have a role in this offense, and his coaching history suggests he’s telling the truth. Harvey’s perceived path to the field is propping up his ADP, as he’s not a particularly special talent. However, that path may not exist, which means you should sell Harvey now and cash out while his value is high.
Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing – Imagn Images
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