Omarion Hampton Fantasy Football Week 1 Matchup Analysis

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Omarion Hampton Fantasy Football Week 1 Matchup Analysis

Originally posted on TWSN | By Steve Bradshaw | Last updated Sep 12, 2026 10:14 AM ET

One player that garnered a ton of hype in fantasy football this offseason at the running back position was Omarion Hampton.

It’s easy to see why Hampton was a first-round running back in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he showed plenty of promise as a rookie. Despite taking some time to get going, in just nine games, Hampton scored at least 20 points in three of them and 14 or more in five.

In games where Hampton had at least 14 carries, that turned into 16-plus fantasy points three out of four times. An injury would limit Hampton to nine games, but we already saw him bounce back from that, scoring 16.5 and 20 points in Weeks 16 and 17 last year.

Chargers RB Omarion Hampton is questionable to return today due to an ankle injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 5, 2025

Mike McDaniel may not have been a great head coach, but he’s now the new offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, and he helped turn De’Von Achane into a fantasy football stud. The hope for many is that Hampton can reach superstar status in 2026.

Omarion Hampton Week 1 Fantasy Football Matchup

Now, realistically, there’s no way you’re leaving Hampton on your bench, as he was drafted with a consensus ADP of 16.6, which made him the RB10 per FantasyPros ADP. That said, many Fantasy football managers are still wondering what they can expect out of Hampton.

This week, the Chargers take on the Arizona Cardinals, who on paper look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Chargers should easily win this game, creating a favorable game script for Hampton.

Last year, Arizona allowed the second-most points to running backs, but the PFF matchup tool still only gives Hampton a “Fair” matchup grade. That said, when you dig under the hood of those numbers, Arizona ranks 24th for missed tackles, 31st for yards after contact allowed, and their defensive front is 18th.

For those reasons, I’m expecting an explosive start to the year for Hampton, where he scores 20-plus points for your fantasy football team.

This article first appeared on TWSN and was syndicated with permission.

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