Los Angeles Chargers return from their bye week rested and ready for the final stretch of the season. Omarion Hampton has been on IR since early October after suffering an ankle injury that’s kept him out for seven weeks. Will fantasy football managers finally get their explosive rookie running back on the field again?
Omarion Hampton Injury Update
The ankle problem occurred during the fourth quarter of the Chargers’ Week 5 defeat to Washington after a defender came down on the back of Hampton’s foot during a fourth-and-two attempt, forcing him to leave the game in a walking boot. Los Angeles placed him on IR the following Wednesday, which meant he’d miss at minimum four games.​
Hampton has been eligible for activation for several weeks now. With the bye week arriving in Week 12, there wasn’t any reason for the Chargers to open his practice window during the off week.
Now that the team is back from their bye in Week 13, the expectation has always been they would activate Hampton this week. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has previously made optimistic comments about how the rookie’s rehab has progressed.​
Hampton has been spotted doing conditioning work on the sidelines with trainers over the past couple of weeks. This type of field work typically signals that a player is close to returning to full practice participation.​
Everything throughout his recovery has pointed toward Hampton rejoining the active roster once the bye concluded. All signs continue trending in that direction.
On Tuesday, we finally got the good news. The Chargers opened Hampton’s window for activation. While this is does not guarantee he returns this Sunday, it puts him on the right track. At worst, we should see Hampton no later than Week 14.
Hampton Fantasy Outlook
Hampton’s expected comeback faces one challenge that wasn’t present when he first went down. Kimani Vidal has looked good while handling Hampton’s responsibilities during the extended absence, especially in recent weeks against top-tier defenses.​
The assumption should be that Vidal retains starting duties until Hampton gets full medical clearance, which will hopefully come this week. Even after Hampton returns, Vidal has clearly done enough to secure the RB2 role and change-of-pace work in the rotation.​
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This creates a potentially tricky fantasy situation for Hampton managers. While he was the presumed starter before getting hurt, Vidal’s strong showing means Hampton might not instantly reclaim a bellcow workload when he’s activated.​
Hampton will still be worth putting in lineups once he is back. If you’ve stashed him this long, now isn’t the time to bail. However, expect his initial role to be somewhat reduced as the coaching staff brings him along gradually while acknowledging Vidal’s quality production.​
Fantasy managers should closely watch Hampton’s practice status once he receives his designation for return. A Week 13 return remains possible, but it is not guaranteed just yet. Once Hampton is active for Los Angeles, he can immediately slot into fantasy lineups.​
