Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is finally here and opening weekend will continue on Friday with the Los Angeles Chargers meeting the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil at 8 p.m. ET on YouTube.
The Chargers are entering the second year of Jim Harbaugh’s tenure and are hoping to take a step forward this season after falling to the Texans in last year’s AFC Wild Card round. The team brought in a few new faces to the offense this offseason, one of which being first-round rookie running back Omarion Hampton. Expectations are high for the first-year tailback as he enters the season as with an ADP (average draft position) of 14 in all formats according to FantasyPros.
Below, we’ll go over Hampton’s outlook in fantasy football for Week 1.
Fantasy Football analysis: Chargers RB Omarion Hampton
Hampton was selected by the Chargers with the No. 24 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft this past April, joining Ashton Jeanty as the only running backs to hear their names called in the first round. The 6’0”, 221-pound back was dominant during his time at North Carolina, posting two straight seasons of 1,500+ rushing yards and 15 touchdowns that earned him back-to-back first-team All-American honors.
The physical rookie back got a chance to take a significant amount of first-team reps in training camp with veteran Najee Harris dealing with an eye injury. However, Harris was able to return to practice just in time for the regular season and there is still a question of who will get the start on Friday. Harbaugh seemingly confirmed on Wednesday that Harris will be the starter for the opener while Rich Eisen reported that Hampton will get the nod. Regardless of who gets the first carry, how both backs are utilized for the entire game remains to be seen.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard/PPR leagues?
Start. Even with Harris in line to get his share of carries, fantasy managers shouldn’t be too concerned about the rookie. Greg Roman offenses have finished above 28th in passing attempts just once in his career as an offensive coordinator and with the backfield that they’ve invested in, you best believe the Chargers are going to run the dang ball this season. Given how impressive he looked during preseason, Hampton should get plenty of carries in Brazil on Friday and should be on pace to quickly eclipse Harris as the starter. If you drafted the rookie to your lineup, go for it. Start him in Week 1.
