Omarion Hampton Start or Sit Advice for Week 6
The Los Angeles Chargers weren’t expected to be among the worst teams in the NFL this season, but they have stumbled out of the gate to an 0-5 start. One of the Bolts’ biggest fantasy disappointments has been running back Omarion Hampton, who was drafted in most leagues as a weekly starter with workhorse potential but has failed to live up to the hype. As the team looks to get its first win of the season in Week 6 against the Chiefs, can you start Hampton in your fantasy football lineup, or is he best left on the bench?
Hampton played 58% of snaps in Week 1 and 63% of snaps in Week 2, but his playing time dropped to 35% in Week 4 and 30% in Week 5. He now seems to be stuck in a three-way platoon along with Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal. Mitchell had 13.7 FPTS in Week 3 and 11.3 FPTS in Week 4, while Vidal had 11.6 FPTS in Week 4 and 12.6 FPTS in Week 5.
While his backfield mates have been in bigger roles, Hampton did still manage 13.3 FPTS in Week 4. Last week, though, he only had 4.9 FPTS on 14 carries for 33 yards and one catch for six receiving yards. Hampton did show promise as a pass-catcher as a rookie, hauling in 32 catches in nine games for 192 yards, but it looks like offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel prefers using Mitchell and Vidal in those critical third-down situations.
Hampton has scored three rushing touchdowns in his five games, but he’s not getting much work in the passing game with just five catches for 35 receiving yards. His shrinking playing time, especially in the passing game, is definitely a cause for concern for his fantasy backers.
Against the Chiefs in Week 6, Hampton is a low-end RB3 with touchdown-reliant upside. If you’re squeezed into playing him in a FLEX spot in standard leagues as a result of bye weeks or injuries, he is still startable. But with uncertainty around his playing time, he is extremely high-risk.
Hampton’s upside is limited by his lack of work in the passing game and his floor is very low since he’s not guaranteed many touches.
The Chiefs are coming off their bye week, when they have historically been very good, and they have been solid against the run this season, so this doesn’t look like a favorable matchup to attack.
The Chargers and Chiefs meet in one of the three late games on the main DFS fantasy football slate on DraftKings, highlighted by the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st, $100K Leaderboard Eligible]. In those contests, Hampton’s salary is down to $5,300. If you think he gets a touchdown or two, he could end up being an exceptional value, but he is a high-risk option even in DFS contests with his smaller role.
