RADIO
When will Omarion Hampton return and play? Will Omarion Hampton be back again this season? Read the latest Omarion Hampton injury updates and return date for Week 8 (2025).
The 2025 fantasy season has been particularly brutal in terms of injuries to key players. Unfortunately, one of the players injured was Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton.
Hampton was the team’s first-round pick out of North Carolina, who has rare size and explosiveness. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury when he was starting to find his footing at the NFL level and hasn’t been seen since.
When will Omarion Hampton return to the starting lineup? Is he almost healthy? Read below to find out.
Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!
Omarion Hampton Injury Update
Omarion Hampton suffered a high-ankle sprain during Week 5’s game against the Washington Commanders. Shortly after the game, the rookie running back was placed on the injured reserve, which is guaranteed to keep him off the field for at least four weeks.
Hampton has missed two of four games due to his injury and is not eligible to return to the field until Week 10. Unfortunately, the only news we have gotten regarding Hampton’s injury is an update that the Chargers expect that he will need more than the four-week period from the injured reserve.
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay Kickoff with @TomPelissero and @MikeGarafolo: #Jets will get trade calls while #Saints RB Alvin Kamara does not want to go anywhere; #Chargers are in the market for a RB after two big injuries; #Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb has a chance to return next week. pic.twitter.com/SCAMLxJqP6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2025
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much clarity beyond that. The Chargers do have a bye week in Week 12, so there is a realistic outcome that the team gives Hampton an extra two weeks (three with the bye) to ensure that he is returning to the field at 100% strength. Los Angeles looks like they will be a playoff team, and having Hampton at full strength for a potential Super Bowl run would be a significant win for the offense.
Omarion Hampton Fantasy Football Outlook
Hampton had an up-and-down start to his career in 2025. The rookie struggled in his first two games (23 carries for 72 yards and three receptions for 14 yards) in a split backfield with veteran Najee Harris. However, things turned the corner in Week 3 when Harris suffered a season-ending injury.
From Weeks 3 to 5, Hampton dominated touches in the Chargers’ backfield. Hampton handled 23 carries for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 17 of 18 targets for 122 yards. Hamton was the RB5 in PPR points per game (21.8) before suffering his injury.
Omarion Hampton could not be tackled 😤
LACvsNYG on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/tQLrvATbGU
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
Unfortunately, the lack of clarity behind Hampton’s return makes him very difficult to trust in fantasy. If your league has IR spots or deep benches, he’s a must-stash. The Chargers have been adamant that Hampton’s injury is not season-ending and he will be returning to your lineup just in time for your fantasy team’s playoff push.
Fantasy managers in leagues with short benches or no injured reserve find themselves in a much more difficult position. If you need immediate fantasy points to make the playoffs, he is a player who can be dropped to get players who can contribute in the moment. Make sure to monitor his practice reports to be proactive in picking him back up.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Deciding who to start instead? Some common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Alvin Kamara, Rhamondre Stevenson, Isiah Pacheco, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Tony Pollard, Chuba Hubbard. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 8. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 8 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.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Alvin Kamara, Rhamondre Stevenson, Isiah Pacheco, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Tony Pollard, Chuba Hubbard. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (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 8 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Deciding who to start instead? Below are some popular Week 8 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Alvin Kamara, Rhamondre Stevenson, Isiah Pacheco, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Tony Pollard, Chuba Hubbard compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
