Bam Knight leads Cards in rushing once again

Allgeier popped up on the injury report with a toe issue as rookie Jeremiyah Love (ankle) returned to practice in a limited fashion. Though we don’t know the severity of Allgeier’s injury, it may be worth keeping Bam Knight rostered despite Love’s return. If Allgeier cannot play in Week 8 against the Cowboys, Knight will get another week of fantasy viability.

We were hoping to see Love practice in full after taking two weeks off. While today’s limited session puts him on track to play in Week 8 against the Cowboys, Bam Knight and Tyler Allgeier are still worth stashing on benches, just in case. The Cardinals are finally handling Love’s recovery patiently, after giving him far too many touches early in the preseason.

LaFleur simply does not believe that any one running back can handle a full-time role and remain healthy, so he employs a committee approach. Although Tyler Allgeier sits ahead of Knight on the depth chart, LaFleur said he views Allgeier as a reliable complementary running back who excels in pass protection and short-yardage. Knight will be the team’s lead rusher on early downs and can be started in the FLEX against the Broncos this week.

Things have been trending in this direction all week, but LaFleur officially confirmed on Friday that Love will miss a second straight game. Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight will likely split duties again in Week 7 after seeing a near 50/50 split in the touch distribution last week, with Allgeier’s 19 touches narrowly edging out Knight’s 17. Both Allgeier and Knight are fringe RB2/RB3 plays against a stout Broncos defense. In addition to Love the Cardinals also ruled out DT Walter Nolen III (ankle), S Andrew Wiggins (ankle), and OG Jo Gaines II (ankle).

Love didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday after missing Week 6. It doesn’t sound like he will practice at all this week. Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight will split the backfield again this week. Allgeier out-carried Knight 18-15 last week, but Knight was far more effective, running for 80 yards in total. Allgeier posted just 38 yards. He still figures to be the lead runner this week, but Allgeier shine as a plug-and-play RB2 is waning headed into Week 7.

The good news is that this shouldn’t exactly be expected to sideline Knight going forward after his 98-total yard effort against the Rams. Knight’s fantasy value is tenuous despite the big game, as he was outsnapped by Tyler Allgeier and Jeremiyah Love (ankle) could be back next week. But he did outplay Allgeier in Week 6.

Knight seemingly earned more work as the game progressed by simply outplaying Allgeier, the team’s Week 6 starter. After a few unproductive Allgeier runs, the Cardinals got Knight involved as a receiver on the second drive, his first catch coming via a slant route and generating a first down. They gave him three carries on the third drive, culminating in a 31-yarder on a well-blocked run to the left. Allgeier subbed in for the red zone sequence on that drive, but the coaching staff gave Knight three red zone touches on the fifth drive, compared to just one for Allgeier. They gave Knight two more red zone touches on the seventh drive. Blocking failed him on the second one, and it may have resulted in a right hand or wrist injury. Knight trotted over to the medical staff after the play, and a trainer could be seen stabilizing Knight’s wrist while putting him through sideline testing. Knight did return to the game on the next drive, but this is worth keeping an eye on. If Jeremiyah Love (ankle) misses the Cardinals’ Week 7 game against the Broncos, and Knight’s apparent injury is a non-issue, Knight could end up getting the start next week. Stay tuned.

Love engaged in a long, candid conversation with Cardinals beat reporters after the game today, saying his snaps are being managed because he currently is “not able to go out there and do spectacular plays every single time.” Love said this is probably going to be the “longest year” of his life, and his preseason ankle injury is not the only thing he is dealing with. Love said his body is sometimes just “tired,” and that he would “probably just hinder the team” if he took on more work in his current state. He rhetorically asked, “why not put somebody else out there that’s playing better?” For those wondering, the Cardinals don’t go on bye until Week 14. They face the fantasy-friendly Lions defense in Week 5, which could help Love get his confidence back with an efficient performance.

Useful depth last year for Arizona as the entire running back room got hurt, Knight now enters the 2026 season as no better than fourth on the depth chart for the Cardinals. He’s behind James Conner, Tyler Allgeier, and Trey Benson. Knight won’t be a priority in offseason Best Ball drafts and will only pick up steam if more injuries happen ahead of him in the pecking order.

The ankle injury suffered against the Texans in Week 15 will send the running back to season-ending IR. Knight had control of the lead role in the Cardinals backfield for the majority of the season after season-ending injuries to James Conner and Trey Benson left Arizona reliant on depth. The 24-year-old acquitted himself well with a 82/269/4 line on the ground, adding one receiving score on a 22/160 line through the air. He’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason. Knight showed enough to stick on a roster somewhere, even if he isn’t necessarily someone dynasty managers should build around.