Tyler

Allgeier

After playing behind Bijan Robinson in Atlanta for the past few years, Allgeier signed a two-year deal with Arizona worth $12.25 million this offseason, hoping to function as the lead back. There’s vanishingly little chance of that coming to pass after the Cardinals used the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Notre Dam RB Jeremiyah Love. “The Cardinals went ahead of took [Love] I think to the surprise and disappointment of Tyler Allgeier,” Schefter said. Arizona’s backfield is shaping up to be messy for fantasy purposes. James Conner is still in the mix, and with the big-bodied Allgeier profiling as a solid short yardage and goal line option, it remains to be seen how big Love’s role will be. Love, at worst, should get much or all of the backfield’s pass-catching involvement in 2026.

Love will enter a crowded backfield alongside trusted veteran James Conner and free agent signing Tyler Allgeier. Love’s draft capital and his standout ability will give him a good shot at taking on lead back duties to start the 2026 season, though Allgeier and Conner will be involved. Love will be running behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. A two-year starter for the Fighting Irish, 21-year-old (in May) Love (6’0/212) was without peer in this year’s running back draft class. Totaling 40 touchdowns in 28 games over the past two seasons, Love’s explosiveness is unmatched. His 52.9 percent breakaway rate in 2025 ranked No. 1 in the power four conferences, while his average 4.50 yards after contact trailed only one player nationally. Those fancy stats underscore a rare blend of vision, burst and contact balance. Although Love is indeed a home run hitter, he’s also a complete offensive weapon. His final year in South Bend saw him add to his ground statistics with 27 receptions for 280 yards and three scores, posting a superb 1.83 yards per route run. It was production that stressed linebackers in space. Love’s overall elusiveness spike from 2024 to 2025 reflects a runner who not only dodges the first hit but finishes with authority, combining lateral twitch with downhill violence.

That assumes the Cardinals remain in the three spot on Thursday night. The team has reportedly tried for weeks to deal the pick and had no luck finding viable suitors, thanks in part to the weakness of the 2026 draft class. Love, who had 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final season at Notre Dame, has been linked to several teams, including Arizona, Tennessee, Washington, and the Giants, all of whom have premium first round picks. Love would enter a backfield alongside veteran James Conner and big-bodied RB Tyler Allgeier, who signed with the Cards this offseason after four years with the Falcons. Though Love would function as the team’s lead back, Allgeier and Conner would certainly be involved in the team’s rushing attack in 2026.

The unnamed individual is said to be someone “who has a say” in what the Cardinals do with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. McShay notes the Cardinals are also candidates to trade back a couple of spots to potentially draft Love, though “they still need an offensive tackle [and] they still need an EDGE.” Rotational players like former starter RB James Conner, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury last year, and free agent signee, RB Tyler Allgeier, crowd the Cardinals’ backfield. The combo could keep Love from handling an elite rookie season workload, but they are unlikely to prevent him from winning the starting role this summer. He would likely warrant RB2 treatment right away if the Cardinals were to draft him early in the first round.

Weinfuss has a lengthy profile of Tyler Allgeier’s decision to join the Cardinals that explicitly states several times things like “Allgeier said the Cardinals had not discussed his role” and "[h]ow the reps will be divided is yet to be seen.” It’s not wildly encouraging news for Allgeier’s fantasy prospects as the run-first option in a backfield of a team that figures to be trailing often in 2026. Allgeier is still probably the bet to lead the committee, but he’s probably deep in the RB3/RB4 conversation given the uncertainty and how poor this team looks on paper.

That’s the kind of contract that makes us think Tyler Allgeier is the leader of a committee in Arizona this year if everyone is healthy. The good news for Conner is that $2.1 million is guaranteed, so the Cardinals barely save anything letting him walk. His roster spot should be relatively safe.

It’s well short of what Allgeier was reportedly expecting — something in the range of $22 million over three seasons. He lands in a crowded Arizona backfield alongside Trey Benson and James Conner, who recently took a pay cut to remain with the Cardinals in 2026. Allgeier rushed 210 times for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2022 before being replaced as the Falcons’ lead back by Bijan Robinson in 2023. His peripherals fell off a cliff in 2025, as he averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry and average 0.11 broken tackles per rush, which ranked 49th out of 66 qualifying running backs. Allgeier will likely split backfield duties in Arizona and will remain as touchdown dependent as any back in fantasy football.

Kendall reported earlier this month that it would be “hard to imagine” Allgeier returning to the Falcons in 2026. With that kind of money, it’s easy to understand why. The former fifth-round back is seeking starting RB money, and should have plenty of suitors after impressing during his first four years in the league. Allgeier rushed 210 times for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie before being replaced by Bijan Robinson in 2023. He’s averaged over 4.0 YPC just once in his last three seasons, but has forced a missed tackle on 21.7 percent of his carries over that span while also converting nine of his 22 carries inside the opponent’s five-yard line into scores. While he doesn’t offer much as a pass-catcher, Allgeier can help several teams in need of an early down back who can pick up short yards and punch the ball in down near the goal line. He should have plenty of suitors when free agency opens next month.

Allgeier will probably be one of the highest-regarded backs on the market, and Kendall notes that the Falcons can’t afford to give him starting running back money behind Bijan Robinson. Allgeier could wind up in a terrific fantasy situation this year — the Chiefs and Texans (our speculation) are two rooms he could step into as the lead back easily with real upside — and could find himself in the RB2 tier in the right landing spot.

Although he stole some clock-killing and goal-line work, contract-year player Allgeier finishes with 610 yards from scrimmage while Bijan Robinson led the league at 2,298. A little older than you might imagine (26 in April), Allgeier now heads to free agency with the kind of profile that will land guaranteed money, but not necessarily a starting job. He is a reasonably versatile player, one who has a 1,000-yard rushing campaign on his résumé. He was a “success rate” all star this year. Allgeier is a player who could be a lot more valuable in dynasty leagues three months from now.