There were a ton of surprising backfields in Week 8, with two of the biggest surprises being the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders running backs. Tyler Allgeier exploded, and Mike Washington Jr fully took over the backfield in Vegas. With Week 9 waiver wires running overnight on Tuesday, which one of these running backs should be your top priority?

RB Tyler Allgeier, Arizona Cardinals

Allgeier went off in Week 8 in a road win over the Dallas Cowboys. With Jeremiyah Love exiting with a right ankle injury and Bam Knight suffering a brutal concussion after a vicious hit, Allgeier showed why so many fantasy owners were high on him before the team drafted Love in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

He carried the ball 11 times for 147 yards and a touchdown, while catching five passes for 44 yards and another touchdown. With Love and Knight out, Allgeier clearly has the most upside of these two backs.

The issue is, we don't know how long Love or Knight will be sidelined. Love injured his right ankle, which is not the ankle that just cost him the past two weeks. This is a new injury, and we do not yet know the extent of it, and there is a good chance we won't know before waivers run tomorrow night.

Knight's injury looked bad, but how it looks doesn't necessarily tell us how long he will be out. There is a chance he doesn't miss any time at all, although we would expect him to miss Week 9. If both backs are sidelined, Allgeier is the better fantasy option for the immediate future.

RB Mike Washington Jr Las Vegas Raiders

Washington didn't need Ashton Jeanty to be sidelined to take over the Raiders' backfield. Not only did Washington lead the backfield, playing on 60% of the offensive snaps, but he also carried the ball 25 times, while Jeanty carried the ball just twice. He finished the game with 83 yards.

It seems like Jeanty has been relegated to change-of-pace and passing-down duties. We aren't sure if this is due to a sore ankle or if they just like Washington better, but Jeanty has seen a significant decrease in work on the ground week after week.

This looks like a trend that will continue, and we don't expect Washington to see a significant decrease in workload. He could hold this role for the remainder of the season.

Verdict

If you need a starter for next week or the next few weeks, we would suggest going with Allgeier. He has a shot at being all alone in the Cardinals' backfield and has proven he can handle a backfield on his own.

However, Washington could be a viable fantasy option for the remainder of the season. With that being said, Jeanty does cap Washington's upside by taking all the pass-catching work, and he could always re-emerge.

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