Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3, which means Omarion Hampton has a chance to be a fantasy football superstar. A first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the North Carolina product has all the talent in the world, but can he play up to his potential for the remainder of the season?
Omarion Hampton Fantasy Football Outlook After Najee Harris Injury
Despite his draft capital, Omarion Hampton has not done much to impress through his first three weeks of action. Splitting snaps with Harris, the rookie has recorded just 142 yards and one touchdown on 42 attempts (3.4 yards per carry) while adding nine receptions for 73 yards through the air.
While this production is underwhelming, you shouldn’t overreact to it. Adjusting to life in the NFL is incredibly challenging, and most players need to acclimate to playing against the top competition in the world. For example, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor didn’t do much early in his rookie season despite having full control of the backfield, but came alive down the stretch. Over the final four games of his rookie season, Taylor averaged 140 rushing yards and 1.8 touchdowns per game. Now, he’s one of the best backs in football.
Volume is king in fantasy football, and Week 3 shows that Omarion Hampton has top-12 upside for the rest of the season. Hampton received almost all of the carries with Harris sidelined, as wide receiver Derius Davis finished the night with just one carry for two yards. For what it’s worth, Hampton also had the best game of his career, finishing with 70 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding six receptions for 59 yards while going up against one of the NFL’s top defenses.
Projected Volume
Omarion Hampton will lead the backfield, but he won’t receive 100% of the touches like he did in Week 3. The Chargers will add somebody, as Hassan Haskins is the only other running back on the active roster. While they will probably promote Kimani Vidal from the practice squad, they could also trade for a solid backup like Jerome Ford or Antonio Gibson. However, whoever they acquire won’t be good enough to steal the starting job from Hampton, which means the rookie should have enough volume to be a startable asset for the remainder of the season.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has a well-earned reputation for being obsessed with the run game, but that hasn’t been the case in 2025. According to RBSDM.com, the Chargers have a 9% pass frequency over expected, which is unheard of for this coaching staff. Harbaugh wants to win games with the right arm of Justin Herbert, and frankly, this is a smart decision. After all, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in football, and this philosophy has guided them to a 3-0 record.
Because of this fundamental change in Harbaugh’s offense, Omarion Hampton probably won’t receive the necessary volume to be a top-five fantasy football back for the rest of the season, even if he improves his efficiency between the tackles. However, he’ll still see a high workload on one of the game’s best offenses, and that alone makes him a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside.
Main Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images
The post Fantasy Football: Omarion Hampton Outlook After Najee Harris Injury appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.