The Los Angeles Chargers running back timeshare shifted with Najee Harris’ injury, so who is the backup for Omarion Hampton?

The Los Angeles Chargers have gotten off to a fast 3-0 start as they prepare to travel to the Big Apple to face the Giants in Week 4. While they won 23-20 against the Broncos last week, they did lose running back Najee Harris (Achilles) for the season. While rookie running back Omarion Hampton stepped up and had a huge game, who else has a chance to emerge as important for fantasy football from the Bolts’ backfield going forward? Can Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal or Amar Johnson step into a bigger role?

Let’s take a look at the Chargers’ running back depth chart, evaluate Hampton’s upside moving forward and figure out who else matters.

How high will Hampton fly?

In Week 3, Hampton had a breakout game with 19 carries for 70 yards and one touchdown and six catches (on seven targets) for 59 yards. He racked up 24.9 DraftKings points in the team’s win.

Hampton is an RB2 with RB1 upside if he establishes himself as both the primary rushing and receiving back over the next few weeks. He has a great matchup this week against the Giants, and then some solid matchups against the Commanders, Dolphins, Colts, Vikings and Titans. The Chargers’ bye week isn’t until Week 12, and it looks like Hampton’s show for now.

I have Hampton as my No. 13 option in my top 30 running backs for Week 4.

Hassan Haskins or other options?

Hampton was already universally owned and expected to be a strong option going forward, but Harris’s injury has a bigger impact on the rest of the running backs on the depth chart. Coach Jim Harbaugh usually likes to rotate running backs and give them all plenty of work, so there’s definitely value in figuring out who the “next man up” is for the Chargers.

The short and obvious answer is that Haskins is the next man up. He’s the only other running back on the active roster. Haskins only played one snap in Week 1, one snap in Week 2 and then increased to seven snaps in Week 3. Haskins hasn’t had a carry or a target yet this season, but he did play in two preseason games, taking six carries for 34 yards against the Lions and six carries for 33 yards against the Saints. He had three catches for 24 yards in those games as well.

Last year, Haskins played 17 games for Harbaugh’s Chargers, totaling just 89 rushing yards on his 34 carries and adding 49 receiving yards on three catches. He found the end zone three times, and he could develop as a goal-line option, since he’s a much bigger back than Hampton.

Haskins played at Michigan with Harbaugh before being a fourth-round pick of the Titans back in 2022, so he should know the system and mindset enough to be a solid backup and change-of-pace option.

Practice squad promotions?

The two other options the Chargers have on their practice squad currently are Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson. Vidal spent last year on the Chargers’ active roster but seemed to struggle in pass protection this preseason and training camp, which makes it hard to see him stepping into a meaningful role unless that has improved in practice.

Johnson may actually be a more interesting flier if you’re in an ultra-deep league or looking for a Hampton handcuff. Johnson was an undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State and signed with the Packers before training camp. With Green Bay in the preseason, he led the team with 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries over three preseason games. However, he was waived and signed with the Chargers’ practice squad.

It’ll definitely be worth watching if Johnson or Vidal are promoted for game day this week or signed to a full contract on the active roster before Week 4.

The Bottom Line

For now, Hampton is a strong RB2 with RB1 upside and worth considering in all DFS and season-long formats going forward.

If you’re looking for a handcuff, Haskins is the most likely answer and could mix in this week. Keep an eye on Johnson too, though, since if he’s promoted he could be an interesting change-of-pace for his fellow rookie.

For one-week contests, like this week’s NFL $3M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings, Hampton is a strong play at $5,900 since he brings elite upside without an elite salary. Haskins is a flier at just $4,400 that can make sense as well, since he could get work as Hampton’s backup and bring touchdown-dependent upside.