Who Should I Start? Brian Robinson Jr. or Omarion Hampton

Thursday, February 12, 9:02 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. spent all of 2025 as the handcuff behind Christian McCaffrey. Now, he'll hit free agency with an opportunity to find a larger role elsewhere. We can't rule out a return to San Francisco, but given that Robinson is a three-time 700-yard rusher, he'll presumably get offers from teams looking to make him their 1B running back, rather than a true backup. Robinson's lone season on the West Coast resulted in a modest 400 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. From a fantasy perspective, his 2026 outlook will heavily depend on where he ends up. He was a top-30 fantasy running back with the Commanders in both 2023 and 2024, so he could get back onto the weekly flex radar if he splits touches with another running back in an average or above-average offense.

Thursday, February 19, 8:13 AM

The Los Angeles Chargers selected running back Omarion Hampton 22nd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, but ankle injuries limited the talented rookie to only nine regular-season games. Even still, the 22-year-old out of North Carolina showed enough in his first season to make him a popular breakout candidate heading into 2026. Following a season-ending injury to Najee Harris in Week 3, Hampton exploded for his best game of the season, with 165 total yards and a touchdown in a Week 4 loss to the Giants. While he would play only five more games for the rest of the year, mostly behind an injury-ravaged offensive line, he continued to run hard, averaging 4.4 yards per carry while staying steadily involved in the passing game. Assuming a full return to health by both Hampton and the line in front of him, the second year back could be knocking on a top-five fantasy finish in Mike McDaniel's offense in 2026.