Omarion Hampton is back and he may bring you a fantasy championship

Omarion Hampton and the Chargers have a tough matchup this week but he may be your guy if you need a starter

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The Los Angeles Chargers beat down the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. They have returned home and will prepare to host the Houston Texans in a critical AFC showdown with playoff implications for both franchises.

The Chargers suffered a few unfortunate injuries in their victory over the Cowboys. Starting left tackle Jamaree Salyer exited the game on the opening series. Running back Kimani Vidal also suffered a neck strain in the second half against the Cowboys.

#Chargers RB Kimani Vidal, who left Sunday's win over the #Cowboys early, was diagnosed with a neck strain and is considered day-to-day, source says after the MRI. Vidal could miss time, but the belief is that it's not serious. pic.twitter.com/2TGXgPpWTp

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 22, 2025

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Omarion Hampton's role and volume moving forward

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It may come as a surprise, but Omarion Hampton has not been starting since he returned from injured reserve. Kimani Vidal held down the fort, essentially alone, while Hampton and fellow running back Hassan Haskins were on injured reserve. Vidal maintained the role of starter even after Hampton's return.

Hampton is set to take over the starting and lead back role with Vidal banged up. Hampton has seen a slow and steady workload increase since returning from injured reserve. Since his return against the Eagles, in three games he is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Vidal had several high volume games in Hampton's absence including games with 24, 25 and 29 carries. Hampton should expect to see his workload increase over 20 carries per game unless Vidal is deemed go to go in a shared backfield.

RELATED: Justin Herbert has to overcome losing a starting offensive lineman, again

Next opponent

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The Chargers are set to face the Houston Texans who boast one of the best defenses in the NFL. The defense has been hit with multiple injuries and yielded 128 yards on the ground to Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty to go along with a big reception for 60 yards.

The Texans have placed multiple defensive players on injured reserve in December. Defensive tackles Tim Settle and Mario Edwards were both placed on injured reserve this month as was safety Jaylen Reed.

The biggest factor for the Texans defense has been linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair who missed the game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to knee and ankle injuries. If Shaair is unable to play or is limited, the Texans' defense will be limited as well.

#Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on not having Azeez Al-Shaair Sunday: 'Azeez has been huge for us. Hopefully. we can get him back (against #Chargers'

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 22, 2025

Chargers rushing attack against Houston

Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman as leaned into jumbo packages with a sixth offensive lineman and a full back to create rushing advantages. Omarion Hampton is at his best rushing outside of the tackles. If Azeez Al-Shaair is limited, the other linebackers on the Texan's defense all have substantially high missed tackle rates.

If Los Angeles is without tackle Jamaree Salyer in this game, his replacement is a more athletic run blocker. If replacement tackle Austin Deculus is in the lineup, the Chargers may lean on his athleticism on outside runs, where Hampton thrives.

Summary

The Texans defense will likely prevent a massive game from Hampton on the fantasy front. However, it will be worth monitoring Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's health for the matchup. The run defense is significantly different without him on the field.

If you are in need of an RB2 in your final matchup for the season or considering starting him in a daily lineup, he will undoubtedly get more attempts against the Texans.

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