Hampton, who was placed on the IR after Week 5, will continue to remain out until after the Chargers’ Week 12 bye.
Omarion Hampton, the Chargers’ first-round pick in 2025, was just hitting his stride before suffering an ankle injury in Week 5. Kimani Vidal has held down the backfield in Hampton’s absence, and will continue to do so until at least Week 13. The Chargers also just lost Tackle Joe Alt for the season, which will hurt the fantasy impact of Chargers running backs for the rest of the season.
Author: Bradley Stalder (@FFStalder)
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal is about to ...
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal bounced back ...
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal followed a ...
Omarion Hampton will miss the next 4 weeks due to an ankle injury.
The Chargers will be without rookie running back Omarion Hampton due to an ankle injury. This will be a minimum of 4 missed games with the possibility of more.
The move comes at a difficult time both for the Chargers and fantasy managers alike. In a season barraged by injury, Hamton’s in the latest blow to those rostering him. The Chargers will work to replace him with a mix of veteran Hassan Haskins and 2nd year back Kimani Vidal.
Hampton is 4th in running back receptions (20) and his 15.4 fantasy points per game ranks No.14. Much like the quandary presented by the Cardinals backfield in losing Trey Benson, the clear lead back for the Chargers may be murky. It is best to roster one or both of Haskins and Vidal until clarity shows on gamedays.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Running backs Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal see opportunity surge as Najee Harris’ status remains uncertain.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters he’s unsure if Najee Harris will be ready for training camp, casting further doubt on an injury that was initially described as “superficial.” With Harris’ recovery timeline now murky, the situation has gone from minor concern to potential red flag. The former first-round pick is undraftable in fantasy formats until there’s clarity on the severity and return timetable.
In Harris’ absence, rookie Omarion Hampton is poised to benefit. The first-rounder has already drawn praise from the coaching staff for his pass-catching ability and could vault well beyond his current 4th-round ADP with an expanded workload in Greg Roman’s run-heavy scheme.
Second-year back Kimani Vidal has continued to see first-team reps alongside Justin Herbert in training camp. Given Greg Roman’s history of deploying multiple running backs, Vidal could carve out standalone value if Harris’ absence lingers.
Undrafted rookie Raheim “Rocket” Sanders is another name to monitor. He’s expected to get preseason reps—particularly in the upcoming Hall of Fame Game—and could emerge as a deep sleeper behind Hampton in the Chargers’ backfield.
Author: Pat Mitchell(@PatMitchellFF)
Chargers running back Najee Harris is climbing up Underdog draft boards.
The Los Angeles Chargers have been a desirable spot for a rookie running back to land since the start of the offseason. There has been a slight dent put into that sentiment by the Chargers signing of veteran running back Najee Harris to a 1-year $5.2 million contract.
Since March 9th, Harris has risen on Underdog 30.6 spots!. This 2.5 round increase in ADP makes perfect sense considering last offseason fantasy gamers went berserk for rookie 6th round NFL draft pick, Kimani Vidal.
Najee Harris is now the RB-25 having leapt up from RB-33 in drafts prior to signing with the Chargers as a free agent. Najee Harris has played 17 games in all 4 seasons of his career and eclipsed 1,000 yards or more in every season. His high-water mark was his rookie season where he was 6th in fantasy points per game at 17.7. Najee Harris is a perfect example of needing to fade negative player take sentiment while adapting to a golden opportunity.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins is heading to injured reserve with a knee sprain.
J.K. Dobbins is heading to injured reserve with a knee sprain he suffered in week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens. He will miss a minimum of four games and is eligible to return week 17 against the New England Patriots.
The Los Angeles Chargers running back was enjoying success so far this season with 158 carries for 766 yards and eight touchdowns. Dobbins has made for a great story after suffering multiple season ending injuries to start his career but unfortunately has found himself on injured reserve yet again. Luckily for Dobbins, the knee sprain shouldn’t end his season and it appears the Chargers very well could end up playoff bound. Dobbins is currently RB20 in PPR despite missing this weekends game against the Atlanta Falcons.
It his absence look for Gus Edwards and Kimani Vidal to both increase their snap shares. Against the Falcons, running backs only took 11 carries but Edwards led the way with six and Vidal with four. It’s very possible the Chargers will look to throw more without Dobbins on the field but the lack of running back involvement on Sunday is more a factor of the offense only running 46 plays. Look for both Edwards and Vidal to see more work moving forward as both should make solid flex plays for now.
Zach Schultz | @schu1tzy
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh gave an update to the undisclosed injury to running back Gus Edwards.
The 29 year old free agent signing from Baltimore was expected to take the reigns to start the season but after an undisclosed injury the job may be up for grabs. Edwards was seen working on the side with trainers during minicamp and was also not present for OTA’s leaving questions about his injury status.
Unfortunately, the only update from head coach Jim Harbaugh was that Edwards is “on a really good track” to be ready for training camp. The nature of the injury right now is unknown leaving it tough to project what to expect from Edwards moving forward. With fellow free agent signing J.K. Dobbins recovering from a 2023 week one achilles tear, the door may be open for sixth round rookie Kimani Vidal to snag the starting job.
Edwards and Dobbins both came to the Chargers from the Ravens and they both have experience with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. This probably helps both their causes a little as far as missing time goes but this will still be a situation to monitor in training camp. It’s very possible the Chargers open camp with Vidal as the only back able to take full participation giving him the leg up on his competition.
