The Los Angeles Chargers’ backfield has become one of fantasy football’s most intriguing storylines following a shocking Independence Day incident that has completely shifted the team’s depth chart. What began as a clear competition between veteran Najee Harris and rookie Omarion Hampton has transformed into a potential goldmine opportunity for savvy fantasy football managers.
Harris’s freak fireworks accident on July 4th has opened the door for Hampton to seize control of what promises to be a run-heavy offense under Jim Harbaugh. With training camp underway and Harris still sidelined, the fantasy football landscape for Chargers running backs has been turned upside down in the most unexpected way possible.
Omarion Hampton Fantasy Outlook
If you had asked me which Chargers RB you should take this summer, I would’ve told you Harris was the far better value. Hampton’s upside could have led to him taking over at any point, but knowing Jim Harbaugh’s tendencies, how much he loves Harris, and the former Steeler’s reliability, I expected him to be the effective starter throughout the season.
Well, that doesn’t matter now because of an eye injury sustained from a freak fireworks incident Harris suffered on the 4th of July. As camp is well underway, Harris is still not practicing. We’ll see if he can recover, but regardless, I think the workload has tipped dramatically in Hampton’s favor, and I’m all in.
Omarion Hampton was always a 3rd round fantasy value this year (at worst)…
+ Round 1 draft capital (22nd overall)
+ Elite college profile (2 seasons over 1.5k rush yards + 15 TDs, 4+ YACo/Att)
+ Elite size and athleticism (220+ lb w/ a 4.46 40, 9.78 RAS)
+ Strong environment…
— Dataroma (@ffdataroma) July 24, 2025
I’m curious to see if Hampton’s ADP continues to rise. After OT Rashawn Slater’s injury, there’s a chance he remains at his current spot firmly in that third tier of RBs around James Cook and Kenneth Walker. Is he equally at risk as those around him? Of course. But I rarely hesitate to draft a rookie RB I liked as a prospect who landed in a good spot.
The Chargers will run the ball a ton–there’s now little competition for him, and he has first-round draft status. Even if his ADP doesn’t rise too greatly, I won’t be surprised if most competitive leagues reach for him, and I think he may be worth doing so for.
– Mason LeBeau, Fantasy Football Analyst
Najee Harris Fantasy Outlook
If you had asked me about Harris throughout the summer, I would have told you he was one of the best values in fantasy football. Where Hampton was going to be the shiny new toy in a run-heavy offense, Harris would be the reliable veteran that Jim Harbaugh loves, and thus, would turn to often this year.
Harris got a bad rep because he isn’t particularly explosive or exciting, all while running behind a bad line in a bad offense in Pittsburgh. But if he was nothing else, he was reliable.
Well, that all changed on July 4. Harris was injured during a fireworks accident that “superficially” injured his eye. No one really knows what that meant, but it sounded like it might be a minor issue. Well, things aren’t adding up so far into camp because he isn’t practicing.
This is quite reminiscent of Jason Pierre-Paul, who, 10 years ago, had a similar accident that resulted in his losing a finger. Pierre-Paul went on to play nine more years, some at a high level, but he effectively missed most of that season and was incredibly ineffective when he did play.
I’d expect the same for Harris unless he turns the corner quickly. He’s projected to skip the NFI or PUP list, so he’ll at least be with the team. We should be able to tell early on if he can still play at an effective level, but since he missed all of camp, I’m passing on him at value.
– Mason LeBeau, Fantasy Football Analyst
