The Chargers have won five of their last six games and are 9-4 coming into this big divisional game against the 6-7 Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers beat the Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 14, and in that game, they welcomed back rookie Omarion Hampton, who had been on IR since Week 5 with an ankle injury. Hampton shared time with Kimani Vidal, who was solid in his absence, so which running back makes more sense for fantasy football this week against the Chiefs?
Let’s examine the value of each back in what should be a tough overall matchup against the Chiefs on the road at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs have dropped four of five and will desperately be trying to get back to .500 with a win at home against the Bolts. They’ve allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs this season, so what are realistic expectations for the Chargers RBs this week?
Omarion Hampton Fantasy Outlook
Omarion Hampton played only 23 snaps (31%) in Week 14, but he still posted 14.7 fantasy points on 13 carries for 56 rushing yards and two catches for seven yards, including this touchdown.
Hampton got the same amount of touches as Vidal, but he should be ready for even more work now that he’s had a game to get back in the groove.
He shared time with Najee Harris in the first two weeks of the season, but then showed a very high ceiling as the go-to back in Week 3 and Week 4, with 24.9 fantasy points against the Broncos and 30.5 fantasy points against the Giants. The following game he went down with an injury.
Even if the snap share evens out at 50/50 this week, Hampton should be a very solid RB2 given his ability to make explosive plays and his work as a receiver out of the backfield. He also seems to be the better red zone option, with three touchdowns in his last three full games. Hampton is a low-end RB2 with RB1 upside if he does get hot and take over a majority the work. There is some risk with playing him, though, since he doesn’t have a clear top-dog role.
Kimani Vidal Fantasy Outlook
Kimani Vidal stepped in and was very productive for the Chargers while Hampton was out. He had three games with over 22 fantasy points, with a high mark of 25.8 fantasy points against the Dolphins in Week 6, and a huge game with 23.7 fantasy points against the Raiders just before Hampton returned in Week 13.
Vidal totaled 44 rushing yards on 14 carries and added a 60-yard catch to put up 11.4 fantasy points in Hampton’s return, while he played 51 snaps (69%). He was on the field for about two-thirds of the game but ended up with the same amount of touches.
With Hampton looking strong in his return, he could lose some playing time moving forward, but Vidal remains a strong FLEX option with RB2 upside.
On Wednesday, Coach Jim Harbaugh said “It’s really impossible to predict the amount of carries for somebody… [we have] two great backs: Omarion and Kimani.” Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman echoed that sentiment on Thursday by saying, “It could change at a drop of a hat, and I’m always going to go with the hot hand. You never know who that’s going to be.”
Vidal is clearly going to remain involved and get enough chances to still be a fantasy option, but he also comes with major risk, since he also doesn’t have a clear path to a big workload.
The Bottom Line
The Chiefs have been so good against the run, especially lately, that avoiding this situation for Week 15 makes sense if you can. However, since both backs have so much potential in a good offense, they’re definitely start-able. I prefer Hampton over Vidal, because I think his role is more likely to increase this week. I would start him as an RB2 if you don’t have a better option, and definitely consider him as a FLEX. Vidal can also be a FLEX play, but he does have a very low floor. If you’re in the season-long fantasy football league playoffs, I’d probably leave Vidal on the bench in standard-sized leagues for an option that has a higher floor.
In DFS on DraftKings, like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], Hampton has a very attractive salary of $5,900, which makes him a good value if he does take over the majority of the work. Especially in GPPs, where he’s worth the risk for the low ownership, he’s a play I like a lot this week. Vidal at $5,700 should also bring good leverage, but I think there’s less of a chance he goes off. Since Hampton’s only a little more expensive, I’d probably prefer spending a little more to include him in lineups. Both backs have good upside but their production will likely be capped by the presence of the timeshare.
