The Los Angeles Chargers lost another running back, as first-round pick Omarion Hampton will miss at least the next four weeks after suffering an ankle injury against the Washington Commanders. While this is a devastating blow for the team, it presents a fantasy football opportunity for backups Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal.
While neither player will put up Bijan Robinson’s numbers, starting running backs always carry fantasy football value, especially since it’s becoming harder and harder to find healthy options at the position. The only question is, which one should you go after?
Fantasy Football: Hassan Haskins or Kimani Vidal to Replace Omarion Hampton
While Hassan Haskins entered Week 5’s contest as the clear backup to Omarion Hampton, he didn’t receive a majority of the work following the injury. In total, Haskins finished with five carries for 13 yards while Vidal recorded four carries for 17 yards, and the two played the same number of snaps. To make things even more confusing, each player caught one pass.
Based on this one-game sample, the Chargers seem to believe Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal work best in a 50/50 timeshare. However, one-game samples can be misleading, so we should look at their overall bodies of work. If one player has a notably better profile,
Haskins originally entered the league as the Titans fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but has only recorded 64 carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns during his time in the league. Vidal, meanwhile, was a sixth-round pick in 2023 and has recorded 47 carries for 173 yards and no touchdowns. So, both players were Day 3 picks, and neither has done much of anything to outplay their draft capital.
This suggests the Chargers will continue to use Hassan Haskins and Kimini Vidal interchangably while Omarion Hampton recovers from his injury. With the usage established, how much value can we expect from Haskins and Vidal in fantasy football?
The Matchup
Normally, unremarkable running backs splitting snaps don’t have much of a shot at fantasy football relevance. Fortunately, that shouldn’t be the case in Week 6, as Los Angeles faces off against the Miami Dolphins and their atrocious defense.
Miami’s run defense has been nothing short of abysmal, as they’ve allowed every single running back they’ve faced to dominate them. While most defenses will struggle against guys like Jonathan Taylor and James Cook, Miami also surrendered a collective 142 yards to Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 2 and over 200 yards to Rico Dowdle last week. Stevenson and Dowdle aren’t league-wrecking forces by any stretch of the imagination, but Miami still couldn’t do anything to stop them.
Given the matchup, you can start Hassan Haskins or Kimani Vidal as a flex play and feel comfortable. If one running back clearly establishes himself as the leader of the backfield, you can play him until Omarion Hampton returns from injury. However, if this continues to be a 50/50 split, then you’re probably better off leaving both players on your bench after Week 6.
Main Photo: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images
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