Is Najee Harris or Omarion Hampton Starting for the Chargers? Which Los Angeles Running Back Should You Draft in 2025?

Is Najee Harris or Omarion Hampton the RB1 for the Chargers? Should you draft Harris or Hampton in 2025 fantasy football drafts? Zach's draft analysis and advice.

All good fantasy football managers know Head Coach Jim Harbaugh is old school--he loves to run the rock! The former NFL quarterback loves to run the ball early and often, and in his second year at the helm of the Chargers, he has a whole new running back room to lean on. The Bolts brought in a veteran option in Najee Harris and also drafted Omarion Hampton.

Last year, the Chargers utilized a blend of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, with Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins serving as depth pieces. Haskins and Vidal are back behind Harris and Hampton, but Dobbins is now with the Denver Broncos, while Edwards is still available after the Chargers released him. Dobbins racked up 1,058 rushing and receiving yards with nine touchdowns in 13 games. Edwards added 365 rushing yards with four more rushing touchdowns.

Production should be available in the backfield during year 2 of Harbaugh's term, but which running back is set for RB1 for the Chargers? Which running back should fantasy managers be looking to target in 2025 fantasy football drafts? Let's dive in and find out. 

Najee Harris Fantasy Football Outlook

Harris was a first-round pick of the Steelers in 2021 out of Alabama and has played all four years of his career in Pittsburgh. He played in all 17 games in each of those years and served as a workhorse back with over 1,000 rushing yards on 250+ carries in every season. He had 10 total touchdowns in both 2021 and 2022, eight in 2023, and then seven touchdowns last year. 

The Steelers used Harris in a rotation with Jaylen Warren for the last few seasons, but he stayed healthy and served as a reliable, bruising back who excelled in short-yardage situations. The Chargers brought Harris in, looking for him to be a competent, reliable anchor for their backfield who could carry the load and handle the grind of the season. The original plan was to add some "sizzle" to the backfield and rely on Harris for the substance.

The offseason continued according to plan when they drafted Hampton (more below). Coach Jim Harbaugh said that he viewed both backs as starters and planned to deploy the duo as a “1-2 punch.”

That plan took an abrupt left turn on the weekend of July 4.

Harris sustained a "superficial" eye injury early in the morning of July 5 in a fireworks accident and reportedly visited two hospitals following the incident. Early reports were that he would be back "sooner rather than later," but he was placed on the active/non-football injury list at the start of camp.

Since training camp started, the Chargers added extra depth by signing Nyheim Hines, who is coming back from his own non-football injury. He's missed the last two seasons after sustaining a torn ACL and LCL in a jet skiing accident. Hines' skill set as a smaller receiving back and special teams star doesn't directly replace Harris's skill set, to be sure, but it is interesting that the Chargers opted to add more depth at the position.

With preseason games about to start, there's still very little clarity around Harris' injury or his timetable to return.

Jim Harbaugh said there’s still no timeline for Najee Harris to return to practice.

As for Tarheeb Still, who has missed the last few days of practice, Harbaugh said the last he was told, Still is working through something minor.

— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) July 29, 2025

Last year, Harris averaged just under 4.0 yards per carry, which was the third-lowest among running backs with 200+ attempts. He was never going to be the dynamic element in this backfield anyway, and his fantasy value is closely tied to his high-volume, early-down role.

That role is seriously in question, though, since he hasn't been able to establish himself as a reliable veteran presence. Is there still the potential for a big year --- definitely, but there are also plenty of question marks swirling around his status coming into the season.

Omarion Hampton Fantasy Football Outlook

Without Harris available, Hampton has gotten the chance to soak in all the first-team reps in training camp and the preseason. He was already potentially lined up for a big role, but Harris's injury adds even more fuel to the fire emoji next to his name in fantasy football drafts.

The rookie got an early chance to soak in the spotlight by playing in the NFL Hall of Fame game against the Lions. 

Since haters keep posting Omarion Hampton 1/3 runs here’s one ⚡️💪⚡️💪 O pic.twitter.com/EAL7wKNDLT

— Buda (@Hopscotchp111) August 1, 2025

He only ended up with two carries for nine yards and was stopped on a carry near the goal line, setting up the first of Vidal's two rushing touchdowns. Hampton's draft stock may have climbed into the first round if he had a monster game, so his limited work may actually end up being a blessing in disguise.

The Chargers drafted Hampton with the No. 22 overall pick in last year's draft, as the second running back off the board behind only Ashton Jeanty. Hampton starred in his last two seasons at North Carolina with over 1,500 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in each season. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at 221 pounds, showing he has both the size and the speed to serve as an every-down back.

Hampton was also one of the best pass-blocking and pass-catching running backs in the draft and should be an asset in the passing game as well. The original plan seemed to be for Harris to take the early-down work and Hampton to serve as the third-down back, but Harris's injury could set Hampton to seize the lion's share of the timeshare right away.

Throughout training camp and offseason workouts, Hampton has gotten high praise for his work with the starting offense. He has shown big-play ability and the ability to score anytime he touches the ball, but he has also done a good job with pass protection and more schematic things as well. Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman called him “the total package. ... You don’t see a lot of guys find a hole like he’s doing right now.” Veteran Derwin James Jr. also said the rookie had been very impressive. With so much hype both before and after Harris's injury, it looks within the realm of possibility that he secures the job out of the gate.

Hampton could end up the featured back in Week 1, and if he is, he has an extremely high ceiling behind an elite offensive line with all the skillset to find success in the NFL.

Who Should You Draft in Fantasy Football? 

The clear and obvious answer here is Hampton, who is one of the hottest names in fantasy football, for as long as Harris has so much uncertainty. The only issue is that Hampton's ADP has soared so high that he's very hard to get. If you can still secure him as your RB2, he's an outstanding option. You may have to take him as a low-end RB1, though, and in some drafts, he's going as early as the second round.

Hampton does bring RB1 upside in a high-volume spot with a great offensive line, but he does come with risk since he's an unproven rookie with a veteran option who could be back at some point, possibly even soon. He's risky, but he could be worth it.

On the other extreme, with so much uncertainty around his status, Harris's ADP has plummeted. He has landed on plenty of teams as an auto-draft punishment, but the veteran does still have upside. Since there is no clear timetable, he could be back and ready to roll in Week 1. He could also get plenty of work in Harbaugh's system as a grinder that helps with clock control and consistent yardage, setting up Hampton to be the home run threat. The one certainty with Harris at this point is that he's extremely high-risk.

If you can grab the veteran late as a depth piece, he's worth a flier, but don't overspend on him. It does make sense to consider snagging Harris as insurance if you draft Hampton early as well, ending up with both Bolts' backs as a way to cover all the bases.

Harris's injury even makes Vidal an interesting sleeper at the end of drafts. Vidal had a pretty quiet rookie year, but he was the second running back to enter the Hall of Fame game and had a pair of touchdowns. He's been making plays in training camp as well, and if he gets playing time due to injury or as part of a rotation, he brings intriguing upside as well.

The Chargers are so run-heavy that multiple running backs are solid fantasy options in this backfield, so be sure to target them at the right spots in your fantasy football drafts this season.

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