Who Should I Start? Keaton Mitchell or Kimani Vidal
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7 | 23.6 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 6.3 | 0.0 |
Keaton Mitchell News
Friday, August 21, 9:47 AM
Los Angeles Chargers running back Keaton Mitchell has a little more separation in the race behind Omarion Hampton. The Chargers' current depth chart lists Mitchell second at running back, with Kimani Vidal on the next line, and Mitchell was involved early Thursday night before a 21-yard catch was wiped out by penalty. The 5-foot-8, 191-pound back doesn't need many touches to change a game. He ran for 341 yards on 59 carries last season, averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and added nine catches for 63 yards. Los Angeles also noted that Mitchell led the NFL in average run speed in 2025 at 14.49 mph and had 11 runs of at least 10 yards. Mike McDaniel has already said he expects to use Hampton, Mitchell and Vidal every week and could ride the hot hand, so this isn't a clean backup situation. Hampton still leads the room. Mitchell just looks like the best bet for the change-of-pace work right now, and his speed gives him enough standalone upside to stay interesting late in deeper redraft drafts.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | 13.5 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 5.9 | 0.0 |
Kimani Vidal News
Friday, August 14, 10:40 AM
Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal started Thursday's preseason opener against the Houston Texans, but his night was brief. Vidal carried five times for eight yards and did not catch his only target before the Chargers moved on to the rest of the backfield. Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell did not play. That difference is worth noting after Los Angeles spent much of camp talking up all three backs. The Chargers' current depth chart now has Mitchell second behind Hampton, with Vidal listed on the third line alongside Amar Johnson. Vidal proved last season that he can handle a bigger workload when needed, rushing for 643 yards and three touchdowns on 155 carries while making 10 starts. Mike McDaniel has also said he plans to use Hampton, Mitchell and Vidal during the regular season. Vidal should still have a role, but Thursday's usage was another sign that he may be entering the year behind Mitchell in the pecking order.
Keaton Mitchell vs. Kimani Vidal
Still trying to decide between Mitchell and Vidal? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Keaton Mitchell is projected to score 4.7 points this week while Kimani Vidal is projected to score 3.3 points.
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