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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 9 (2025).
Omarion Hampton was enjoying a productive rookie campaign before suffering an ankle injury during their Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders.
With his return date slowly approaching, let's take a look at the latest update regarding his injury.
When will Hampton return to action, and what is his fantasy football outlook when he does? Let's dive in.
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Omarion Hampton Injury Update
Even though Week 9 could potentially be the final game Hampton would have to miss (following his four-game minimum stay on the IR), it appears the former first-round pick will likely remain on the IR for a longer period. Following their victory over the Vikings on Thursday evening, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reported that Hampton was still in a walking boot.
#Chargers RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) was still in a walking boot leaving the locker room tonight. Hampton has been on IR since Week 5.
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) October 24, 2025
While this does not suggest he faced a setback in his recovery, it means he will likely miss longer than the four-week minimum IR stint. Shortly after he was placed on the IR, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported that he could miss longer than the four-game minimum, and this recent report suggests this is the likely outcome.
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
As a result, managers may not see Hampton back on the field until after their Week 12 bye.
Omarion Hampton Fantasy Football Outlook
While his lengthy stay on the IR has hindered his short-term value, his long-term upside remains quite high. When Hampton returns, managers should expect him to relinquish the lead role in the Chargers' backfield and operate as a three-down option. Once Najee Harris (Achiless) went down for the season, Hampton looked like a league-winner, averaging 21.8 PPR points per game from Weeks 3 through 5.
While he has been sidelined, Kimani Vidal has operated as the clear RB1, with Hassan Haskins serving as a change-of-pace option. Vidal has looked quite comfortable in the starter's role and should remain a high-end RB2 for the foreseeable future.
He is coming off an MRI, 19.7 PPR points showing against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8. Since Hampton's injury, the second-year back has averaged 16.7 PPR points per game, through three games as a starter.
Kimani Vidal Scores Touchdown and Demonstrates High Efficiency in Week 8 Win https://t.co/cSdBRDNTlp
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 24, 2025
However, if Hampton's injury continues to linger, it could incentivize the Chargers to acquire a running back at the trade deadline. Another running back added to the depth chart would only hinder Vidal's short-term upside and Hampton's long-term upside.
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 9 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Kimani Vidal, Rico Dowdle, Quentin Johnston, Tez Johnson, Jordan Mason, Wan'Dale Robinson. 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.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Kimani Vidal, Rico Dowdle, Quentin Johnston, Tez Johnson, Jordan Mason, Wan'Dale Robinson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 9.
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 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
Deciding who to start instead? Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Kimani Vidal, Rico Dowdle, Quentin Johnston, Tez Johnson, Jordan Mason, Wan'Dale Robinson compared to others:
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