Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Omarion Hampton

Wednesday, September 24, 6:15 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that they placed running back Najee Harris (Achilles) on Injured Reserve, according to Fernando Ramirez of the Sporting Tribune. Harris' season is over after he tore his Achilles in the Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It's a disappointing end to his first year with the Bolts after signing with them in free agency in the offseason. The 27-year-old will end his streak of four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career. In his three games this year, Harris carried the ball 15 times for 61 yards and no touchdowns, adding three receptions for 25 yards through the air. The Chargers will be forced to lean more on rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton as their lead back going forward, making him a must-start each week. Hassan Haskins will be elevated to the RB2 role, with Kimani Vidal the next man up at No. 2 in the backfield.

Wednesday, November 26, 7:21 PM

Los Angeles Chargers rookie first-round running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) said he was dealing with a fractured ankle, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Hampton also said he feels "amazing" and is hoping to be a full-go once he's activated from Injured Reserve. The 22-year-old Ohio State product fractured his ankle in Week 5 and has been out since, but he returned to a limited practice on Wednesday and has a shot to play this Sunday versus the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman hinted this week that Hampton could be in a timeshare with Kimani Vidal upon his return, which somewhat clouds his fantasy value upon his return. Hampton showed just before his ankle fracture that he's capable of RB1 upside with a heavy workload, but fantasy managers may want to temper expectations initially if L.A. looks to ease him back into the fold.