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Will Omarion Hampton start for the Chargers when he returns? Dan breaks down the Omarion Hampton return timeline for Week 9 and fantasy football outlook.
Omarion Hampton was an early-round draft pick in fantasy drafts this summer thanks to his size, explosiveness, and offensive environment.
Early in the season, that move looked to pay off. Hampton was getting a dominant share of the Chargers’ backfield after Najee Harris was injured and getting the volume needed to be a top 10 fantasy running back. Unfortunately, an injury stifled those dreams.
Will Omarion Hampton still be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starter when he returns? What can fantasy managers expect when he’s back? Read below to find out.
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Will Omarion Hampton Start For The Chargers When He Returns?
Omarion Hampton was stuck in a timeshare with Najee Harris for the first two games of the regular season, but was settling into the lead-back role after Harris suffered an Achilles injury.
From Weeks 3 to 5, Hampton handled 43 carries for 242 yards and two touchdowns while adding 18 targets, 17 receptions, and 122 receiving yards. The rookie running back was dominating the Chargers’ backfield, averaging a 75.5% snap share during that time. The increased snap share and production pushed Hampton to the RB5 in PPR scoring, averaging 21.8 points per game.
A big gain for the rookie Omarion Hampton ‼️
DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/gPG3pzQdb7
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Unfortunately, Hampton’s tenure as the bell-cow for the Chargers was short-lived. The 2025 first-round pick suffered an ankle injury in Week 5’s loss to the Washington Commanders that ultimately resulted in a trip to the injured reserve.
In his absence, second-year running back Kimani Vidal has gotten an opportunity to see a larger workload and made the most of it. From Weeks 6 to 8, Vidal has handled 50 carries for 261 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.2 yards per carry behind an offensive line decimated by injury. He also has 11 targets, eight receptions, 39 receiving yards, and a touchdown.
Vidal is averaging a 46% rushing success rate during that time and is sixth among all running backs in yards after contact (126).
More importantly, Vidal has shown that he can be a capable complement to Hampton in the backfield when the rookie is ready to return. Historically, offensive coordinator Greg Roman prefers to split his backfield between two backs, which was the initial goal with Hampton and Harris. Now that Vidal has shown that he has grown in his second season, it would not be surprising to see him work into a role once Hampton returns.
Hampton will be the lead running back for the Chargers whenever he is able to return. However, it feels less and less likely that he will step back into the 75% snap share that he was enjoying before his ankle injury.
Omarion Hampton Fantasy Football Outlook
At this point, there has been no indication of when Omarion Hampton will be set to return to the football field. Hampton cannot return from injured reserve until Week 10 at the earliest.
After Week 8’s game against the Vikings, Hampton was still wearing a walking boot. Head coach Jim Harbaugh stated that Hampton was “getting better every day,” but refused to speculate further than Week 9 when asked if he would be ready to return next week.
After this week's game vs. Titans, #Chargers RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) will be eligible to return off IR. Jim Harbaugh on Hampton: "To me, it looks like he's getting better every day. We know he won't be there this week." Harbaugh said he'd "rather not speculate" any further.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) October 28, 2025
The fact that Hampton is still in a walking boot suggests that Hampton’s stay on the IR will go beyond the minimum four games. The Chargers' bye week is in Week 12, which could be a logical time for the rookie to start ramping up to return. However, that is purely speculation.
Fantasy managers holding onto Hampton on the waiver wire would love for him to return in Week 10, but that seems unlikely given what we know at the moment. Still, when Hampton does return, they will be getting the lead back in a rushing offense that is finally starting to gel amid a series of offensive line injuries.
Hampton’s role will probably look more similar to his early-season workload with Harris (13 opportunities per game on 70% snap share) now that Vidal has shown he can be a solid complement. However, it is hard to be certain when the explosive rookie will return to the field and our fantasy lineups.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kimani Vidal, Kyle Monangai, Travis Etienne Jr., Jaylen Warren, Kareem Hunt, TreVeyon Henderson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 9. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Popular Week 9 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 9 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kimani Vidal, Kyle Monangai, Travis Etienne Jr., Jaylen Warren, Kareem Hunt, TreVeyon Henderson compared to others:
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