Omarion Hampton vs Chris Olave

“The other AFC West breakout candidate at RB is Omarion Hampton .”

“Round 2: Omarion Hampton (RB – LAC) At the tail-end of the second round, I shored up my other running back slot with Omarion Hampton.”

“Hampton should be a rock-solid RB1 with massive upside in 2026.”

“I have spent a lot of time pumping up Justin Herbert getting to play with Mike McDaniel , but there is no doubt that Omarion Hampton is going to see a huge spike.”

“In 2025, in Weeks 1-4, Hampton averaged 17 touches and 95 total yards as the RB13 in fantasy points per game. In that small sample of games, he posted a 7.4% explosive run rate, a 19% missed tackle rate, and 2.54 yards after contact per attempt. If he had kept up that pace the entire year in those three categories, he would have ranked fourth, tenth, and eighth in those categories (minimum 100 carries).”

“Hampton should be the biggest benefactor of the hire, as De'Von Achane was a fantasy superstar with McDaniel in Miami. More importantly, the second-year pro was outstanding as a rookie despite missing half the season with an injury, averaging 15.1 PPR fantasy points per game despite playing behind arguably the most injury-plagued offensive line.”

“In Year 2, Hampton will surely benefit from the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, a wizard at designing a run game. He'll get the bruising back into space, where Hampton can employ that 4.46 speed to zoom past defenders.”

“Omarion Hampton played only nine games as a rookie, but we got a glimpse of how good he can be. In those contests, he averaged 15.1 fantasy points per game (FPPG), good for RB12. He rushed for 545 yards and added another 192 through the air on 32 receptions.”

“Andrew Erickson expects a healthy Chargers offense and Mike McDaniel's arrival as offensive coordinator to unlock Hampton's ceiling. He highlighted McDaniel's history of involving running backs heavily in the passing game while also pointing to Justin Herbert's previous success targeting backs. Combined with Hampton's projected workload and favorable early schedule, Erickson believes he offers legitimate RB1 upside despite being drafted outside the first round.”

“A healthier offensive line could help the team score touchdowns at a higher rate in the red zone, but so could better health from Omarion Hampton, who played in only nine games as a rookie.”

“Omarion Hampton and the Chargers are very much the target of offseason hype, and it's worth remembering there have been plenty of times in the past that the Chargers haven't paid off that hype.”

“Omarion Hampton and the Chargers are very much the target of offseason hype, and it's worth remembering there have been plenty of times in the past that the Chargers haven't paid off that hype. The Chargers saw Keaton Mitchell as a priority for new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, with him printing off wanted posters and putting them up around the facility.”

“Shough is the unquestioned starter entering 2026, and he’s entering his second season with Chris Olave still in place and Tyson joining the offense”

“They also locked up Chris Olave with a massive contract extension”

“There are a lot of factors to consider when determining the value of a fantasy asset, and it is no different when evaluating the dynasty value of Chris Olave . We can look at the optimistic picture painted by his success with a new QB & new coach, finishing as the WR6 in the 2025 season.”

“After several concussions, most notably two in 2024, Olave returned to form. Olave played 16 games, putting up 100 receptions, 1163 yards, and nine TDs before missing Week 18 due to a blood clot.”

“That has him going ahead of players like Chris Olave , DeVonta Smith and Tetairoa McMillan — all of whom have similar WR1 upside without the same red flags.”

“Chris Olave showed immediate rapport with Tyler Shough , finishing his season on a high note. With Travis Etienne Jr. and Jordyn Tyson , the Saints’ offense should be significantly improved, which will help Olave’s efficiency.”

“Last year, it looked like he was back to form with 100 catches and 1,163 yards. Can we get another full season, Chris? Please!”

“Chris Olave's end-of-season yardage total (1163) looks fine and maybe not as impressive considering he played all 17 games, but he actually ranked #1 in the league in total air yards with 1,820, which tells us that the Saints left a ton of yards on the field as Olave's catch rate (66.2%) and catchable target rate (76.8%) was lower subpar due to poor targets or deep shots that never came to fruition.”

“The cupboards were largely bare at wideout behind Chris Olave.”

“The concern with Chris Olave comes down almost entirely to concussion history. Three straight seasons involving concussions, plus additional issues dating back to college, create long-term dynasty risk that's difficult to ignore, with reports that Olave even contemplated retirement after his latest concussion.”

“New Orleans added three wide receivers and a tight end through the draft, and signed Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. Olave hauled in 25 percent of the team's receptions, and replicating that number will be dang near impossible.”

“Chris Olave is a slight loser with Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson going to New Orleans at No. 8 overall. It's doubtful that he'll approach 156 targets again with another high-end weapon in the mix.”