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Many fantasy football managers are expecting Omarion Hampton to enjoy a breakout in his second year with the Los Angeles Chargers.
He may face a bit more competition than initially believed from his top backups, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal.
Los Angeles' new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel issued a warning to fantasy football managers about the usage of his running backs in an August 10 media availability when asked whether Hampton would be treated as a proverbial "workhorse" in the Chargers' backfield.
"There’s good news and bad news, fantasy owners," McDaniel told reporters. "Good news is I see all three of those guys producing at a very high level. The bad news is I can’t tell you which games those are."
McDaniel went on to express confidence in Hampton, saying "there's gonna be opportunity for him to have a ton of touches."
Still, McDaniel acknowledged his preference for having a rotation at the position as a means of gaining a competitive advantage.
"I like to have backs be fresh, just because I think it's a competitive advantage against a defense who's not subbing out," McDaniel said.
At the same time, McDaniel made it clear he has no qualms about riding the hot hand when warranted, whether it's Hampton, Mitchell or Vidal.
"I'm not very comfortable, when a guy I can tell is in the zone, to take him out. So, you kinda play hot hand once you’re into games. Specifically, I’ll use all three of those guys probably every game. The relative ratio that will be based on opponent and what we're asking the guys to do."
Hampton was limited to nine games during his rookie season but still posted 737 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 156 touches. He was outproduced by Vidal, who had 779 yards and four touchdowns on 171 touches, but averaged 4.4 yards per carry compared to Vidal's 4.1.
Meanwhile, Mitchell joined the Chargers after spending his first three seasons with the Ravens. The speedster generated 404 yards and a touchdown on 68 touches, averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry as the change-of-pace option behind Derrick Henry.
Hampton, a 2025 first-round pick, has the highest ceiling of the trio, but it's easy to imagine McDaniel finding a role for all three backs. And fantasy managers have been especially intrigued to see what he will do with Mitchell after McDaniel enjoyed success coaching a similarly speedy back, De'Von Achane, across his final three seasons with the Dolphins.
For those wondering, Achane led the Dolphins backfield with 305 touches in 2025 while Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright generated 77 and 75 touches respectively. Perhaps McDaniel will implement a similar workload in Los Angeles if all goes well.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football managers may not like Mike McDaniel's Omarion Hampton update
Continue reading...
He may face a bit more competition than initially believed from his top backups, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal.
Los Angeles' new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel issued a warning to fantasy football managers about the usage of his running backs in an August 10 media availability when asked whether Hampton would be treated as a proverbial "workhorse" in the Chargers' backfield.
"There’s good news and bad news, fantasy owners," McDaniel told reporters. "Good news is I see all three of those guys producing at a very high level. The bad news is I can’t tell you which games those are."
McDaniel went on to express confidence in Hampton, saying "there's gonna be opportunity for him to have a ton of touches."
Still, McDaniel acknowledged his preference for having a rotation at the position as a means of gaining a competitive advantage.
"I like to have backs be fresh, just because I think it's a competitive advantage against a defense who's not subbing out," McDaniel said.
At the same time, McDaniel made it clear he has no qualms about riding the hot hand when warranted, whether it's Hampton, Mitchell or Vidal.
"I'm not very comfortable, when a guy I can tell is in the zone, to take him out. So, you kinda play hot hand once you’re into games. Specifically, I’ll use all three of those guys probably every game. The relative ratio that will be based on opponent and what we're asking the guys to do."
Hampton was limited to nine games during his rookie season but still posted 737 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 156 touches. He was outproduced by Vidal, who had 779 yards and four touchdowns on 171 touches, but averaged 4.4 yards per carry compared to Vidal's 4.1.
Meanwhile, Mitchell joined the Chargers after spending his first three seasons with the Ravens. The speedster generated 404 yards and a touchdown on 68 touches, averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry as the change-of-pace option behind Derrick Henry.
Hampton, a 2025 first-round pick, has the highest ceiling of the trio, but it's easy to imagine McDaniel finding a role for all three backs. And fantasy managers have been especially intrigued to see what he will do with Mitchell after McDaniel enjoyed success coaching a similarly speedy back, De'Von Achane, across his final three seasons with the Dolphins.
For those wondering, Achane led the Dolphins backfield with 305 touches in 2025 while Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright generated 77 and 75 touches respectively. Perhaps McDaniel will implement a similar workload in Los Angeles if all goes well.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football managers may not like Mike McDaniel's Omarion Hampton update
Continue reading...
