Jeremiyah Love's Left Ankle Keeps Him Out of Practice, and Tyler Allgeier Looms for the Cardinals Against the Rams

Jeremiyah Love did not practice Wednesday for the Arizona Cardinals, and head coach Mike LaFleur declined to commit to the rookie running back's status for Sunday's Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Rams. LaFleur said the ankle was not an overall hindrance but that rest would be vital, which is the kind of language that usually precedes a limited week at best.

The injury is to Love's left ankle, not the right ankle he sprained in the preseason. LaFleur said the right ankle has healed, but the left has bothered him for the past two weeks. Love first hurt it in Week 4 against the Giants and played through it in Week 5 at Detroit, where he managed just 22 yards on 12 carries and saw a single target.

Why this matters more than one week

Love was one of the most hyped rookie backs of the 2026 class, and fantasy managers drafted him with the expectation that he would take over the Arizona backfield by midseason. The Cardinals listed free-agent signee Tyler Allgeier atop the depth chart to open the season, with Love behind him, and the plan was always for Love's role to grow as he earned trust.

A lingering ankle threatens that trajectory. The Detroit game showed what a compromised Love looks like: limited burst, few touches and almost no passing-game involvement. If the ankle forces him to miss time or play at less than full speed, Allgeier holds onto the early-down role longer than expected, and the timeline for Love's breakout slides back.

The Allgeier pivot

If Love sits, Allgeier becomes the clear lead back. He was signed to be a dependable early-down runner, and he would handle the bulk of the carries against a Rams defense that has been solid at the line of scrimmage. Behind him, the remaining depth is thin. Trey Benson has seen minimal work and sits deep on the depth chart.

For fantasy, Allgeier becomes a volume-driven RB3 or flex play if Love is ruled out. The Cardinals are not an offense that generates a lot of red-zone trips, which limits his touchdown upside, but a back handling 15 or more carries has a floor in any format. Arizona is also in transition at receiver after trading Marvin Harrison Jr. to Houston, so the offense may lean on the run game even more than usual.

The Rams matchup

The Rams come into Week 6 off a Monday night overtime loss to Buffalo in which Puka Nacua caught 17 passes. Los Angeles is a division rival that knows Arizona well, and a divisional road trip against them is not an easy spot for a banged-up back.

The betting angle is the Cardinals' run game. If Love is out or limited, Arizona's ability to sustain drives drops, and the Rams' passing game becomes even more likely to control the game script. The market will adjust Friday once designations are posted. Verdexed's full Week 6 board is on the Week 6 picks page and at NFL predictions.

What to do in your league

Love managers: Hold. This is a rookie with a featured-back profile dealing with a nagging but not structural injury. Selling now would be selling at the bottom. But do not start him blindly: if he does not log at least a limited practice by Friday, bench him in favor of a healthier option.

Allgeier: If he is on your waiver wire, he is the add of the week for Love managers and for anyone in need of running back depth. His value spikes if Love misses time and holds as a handcuff even if Love plays.

DFS: Avoid the Arizona backfield on main slates unless Love is ruled out early and Allgeier's salary has not adjusted. Even then, the Rams matchup caps the ceiling.

How Love's rookie season has gone

Love entered the season as the most talked-about rookie running back in fantasy drafts, and the Cardinals have worked him in gradually rather than handing him the job from Week 1. Allgeier's place atop the initial depth chart was a signal that Arizona wanted a veteran to carry the early-down load while Love learned the offense and pass protection.

The first month followed that plan, with Love's role expanding as the season went on. The ankle has now interrupted that progression at exactly the wrong time. A healthy Love was on track to take over a larger share of the backfield heading into the middle of the season, and every week he spends hobbled pushes that timeline back.

For dynasty managers, none of this changes the long-term picture. Love's draft capital and talent profile are why he was selected where he was, and a nagging ankle in October does not alter that. For redraft managers, the calculation is more immediate: points this week matter, and a limited Love is a risky start.

The bigger picture for Arizona

The Cardinals have now moved on from their top young receiver and are leaning on a rookie back who cannot stay healthy. That combination makes Arizona one of the more uncertain offenses in the league over the next month. For fantasy purposes, the safest Cardinals assets are the ones with guaranteed volume, and right now that list is short.

What's next

Thursday and Friday practice reports are the checkpoints. A limited session would suggest Love is trending toward playing through it again, as he did in Detroit. Two more missed practices would point to a rest week, with Allgeier taking over. Either way, temper expectations for Love in Week 6, and make sure you have a backup plan in place before kickoff.