Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire Debate: Jonah Coleman Vs. Bam Knight
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The waiver wire is heating up entering Week 8, as players throughout fantasy football navigate injuries, roster holes and other factors that could hamper production among lineups. This week, running backs Jonah Coleman and Bam Knight, two backups thrust into vastly expanded roles, could emerge as quality flex candidates for lineups in need of running back depth in Week 8.
Coleman and the Denver Broncos will square off against the Kansas City Chiefs, while Knight and the Arizona Cardinals will go on the road to take on the Dallas Cowboys. Coleman and Knight each provided solid fantasy production during the Broncos-Cardinals clash in Week 7, but which of the pair offers higher upside for Week 8 and beyond for managers considering a waiver claim for one of the two?
The Case For Jonah Coleman
Jonah Coleman is taking on a notable chunk of Denver’s backfield workload in his rookie season, and will take on a gradually expanding role throughout the course of the year. He’s set to take on the majority of the touches on early downs, posting efficient production following a four-game absence from Week 3 to Week 6. He led the team with nine carries in Week 7, racking up 54 rushing yards while flashing some receiving upside with two catches for 15 yards.
Coleman is listed as RB1 on Denver’s depth chart coming into Week 8, with Sean Payton likely to lean on a rushing attack that dominated against Arizona. The rookie will be in for another week of promising volume, presenting a compelling argument for a FLEX start.
The Case Against Coleman
Suiting up in just two games so far this season, Coleman hasn’t presented fantasy players with a large sample size to consider for a waiver claim to this point of the season. He shined in Week 7, and closed his debut with an RB9 finish in PPR earlier in the season, but will have a tough matchup against the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL this season in Week 8. Still competing for touches alongside RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins, his production could have a lower ceiling now than in future weeks.
The Case For Bam Knight
The Cardinals’ backfield has been ravaged by injuries during the 2026 campaign, forcing the offense to lean on the veteran tandem of Knight and Tyler Allgeier to anchor the run game. Knight has notably outperformed Allgeier with similar touches, averaging 6.1 yards per carry over the past two games to Allegeier’s 2.3 YPC. If rookie sensation Jeremiyah Love misses yet another game, Knight will be in for another week of notable touches in Week 8.
Knight should have plenty of opportunities to build on his efficient string of performances in a favorable matchup against Dallas on Sunday. The Cowboys enter Week 8 ranked 31st against the run defensively, which could bode well for Knight’s case as a FLEX play.
The Case Against Knight
Knight’s fantasy value will largely rely on Love’s status in practice during the week. The No. 4 pick is dealing with a nagging ankle issue, missing each of the last two games during Knight’s fantasy surge. If Love is able to go against a lackluster Cowboys defense in Week 8, Knight will have little-to-no fantasy value going forward and will see far fewer touches than he took on in Weeks 6 and 7. Without cemented workload, it’s hard to cast reliable projections for Knight amid Love’s potential Week 8 return.
The Verdict
Knight’s efficiency over the past two games is encouraging, and Arizona’s offense should perform well against Dallas’ defense, but I’m going to pick Coleman over the Cardinals back for our waiver debate. Coleman presents a far higher ceiling despite a tough matchup against Kansas City’s defense, with volume that will continue to expand during the remainder of the season. Denver’s offense is finding its identity through the run, and Coleman is at the center of such a gameplan.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.