Omarion Hampton's fantasy football outlook is a tough look for Greg Roman, too

The Los Angeles Chargers have a good problem on their hands as they approach a possible NFL playoff berth.

The problem? Two good running backs.

Those Chargers just got first-round pick Omarino Hampton back and he responded with 13 carries for 56 yards during a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in primetime.

While Hampton rehabbed on injured reserve, Kimani Vidal made fans look brilliant by living up to his own hype while carrying the load alone. Then, with Hampton back in the fold during that win over the Eagles, he still managed 44 rushing yards and 60 receiving yards.

While a great development for the Chargers and fans, fantasy football folks probably aren’t too happy.

Omarion Hampton fantasy outlook

Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton — Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One quote from Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman sort of says it all here.

"It's so fluid,” Roman told reporters of the Hamton-Vidal split. “It could change at the drop of a hat and I'm always going to go with the hot hand.”

That sort of makes both Hampton and Vidal no-fly zones in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Wild, because if there were a clear-cut starter, one or the other would be a no-brainer of a start in freezing temperatures as the Chargers look to run the ball and keep Patrick Mahomes off the field.

Also noteworthy? The talk about draft pick value. Running back has tanked in terms of importance over the last decade. The fact Vidal, a sixth-round pick, held the offense down just fine while Hampton was out, sort of paints the pick in a bad light.

Greg Roman on the split between Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal moving forward:

"It's so fluid. 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. So you get into the game, you find out who's got the hot hand…
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) December 11, 2025

That’s not to say Hampton isn’t good, or that he won’t help key a deep playoff run now. But the value of taking a first-round running back once again seems questionable at best.

Regardless, the Chargers are happy with where they’re at in the present moment. In theory, both Hampton and Vidal have pretty fresh legs to get them through the last four or so weeks before a possible playoff berth.

If the ground game can carry the offense a bit while Justin Herbert plays through and recovers his surgically repaired non-throwing hand, the season can be considered a success, no matter how irritated fantasy football players might be.

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