With the injury to Omarion Hampton, fantasy football managers are left with a void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your fantasy football waiver wire this week. And here is all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 6.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacements
Injury Outlook
Omarion Hampton (ankle) being placed on IR
The Los Angeles Chargers are placing rookie running back Omarion Hampton on injured reserve with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 5
Fantasy Impact
Hampton has taken over the sole RB1 role following Najee Harris’ Achilles tendon injury. He had played well, posting his first 100-yard game in Week 4 against the New York Giants, but this injury will sideline him for the next four games; he can return against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10. Running backs Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal should dominate the touches in the meantime, though that may mean very little in a pass-first offense.
– Jordan Epp – Jepp Sports
Waiver Wire Replacements to Target
Running Backs
Written by Pat Fitzmaurice
Michael Carter (RB – ARI): 39% Rostered
- Next Opponents: @IND, GB, BYE
- True Value: $22
- Desperate Need: $36
- Budget-Minded: $14
Analysis: Going into Week 5, it was unclear how the Cardinals were going to divide the running back workload in the absence of Trey Benson, who was placed on injured reserve (IR) last week after sustaining a knee injury in Week 4. (Benson himself was starting in place of James Conner, who was lost to a season-ending foot injury.) Michael Carter, who began the season on Arizona’s practice squad, played 57.4% of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps in Week 5 and had a team-high 18 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown against the Titans. Carter also led the backfield in pass routes (18) and had five catches for 22 yards. As if the usage gap between Carter and Emari Demercado wasn’t big enough, Demercado did himself no favors by lollygagging at the end of what should have been a 72-yard touchdown run and then dropping the ball before he crossed the goal-line, blowing a chance to salt away a game that the Cardinals wound up losing 22-21. Carter figures to lead the Arizona backfield again in Week 6 and should be startable until Benson’s return — even in a tough matchup against the Packers in Week 7.
Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT): 36% Rostered
- Next Opponents: CLE, @CIN, GB
- True Value: $7
- Desperate Need: $12
- Budget-Minded: $4
Analysis: When Jaylen Warren was scratched with a knee injury before the Steelers’ Week 4 game against the Vikings in Ireland, Kenneth Gainwell stepped in as the starter and had 19-99-2 rushing and 6-35-0 receiving in the Steelers’ 24-21 win, finishing as the RB3 in half-PPR fantasy scoring for the week. Warren will reportedly be back when the Steelers return from their bye to host the Browns in Week 6. Still, Gainwell’s electric performance against Minnesota may have earned him a usage boost going forward. The Browns are a tough matchup this week, but Gainwell could be Flex-worthy in a soft Week 7 matchup against the Bengals. And if Warren’s knee issues linger, Gainwell could become immensely valuable.
Tyler Allgeier (RB – ATL): 31% Rostered
- Next Opponents: BUF, @SF, MIA
- True Value: $5
- Desperate Need: $8
- Budget-Minded: $3
Analysis: One of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy, Tyler Allgeier would have immense value if Bijan Robinson were to miss time, but Allgeier is already providing something close to standalone value. Through their first four games, the Falcons were the sixth run-heaviest team in the league, running the ball on 48.1% of their offensive snaps. Allgeier has had double-digit carries in three of those games, including a 16-76-1 rushing performance against the Vikings in Week 2 and a 16-51-1 rushing day against the Commanders in Week 4.
Kendre Miller (RB – NO): 31% Rostered
- Next Opponents: NE, @CHI, TB
- True Value: $4
- Desperate Need: $7
- Budget-Minded: $2
Analysis: The Saints have ramped up Kendre Miller’s usage over the last two weeks. In Week 4, Miller played 31% of the offensive snaps and had 11-65-1 rushing in the Saints’ loss to the Bills. In Week 5, Miller played 39% of the snaps and had 10-41-0 rushing and 1-8-0 receiving in a win over the Giants. After being plagued by injuries during his first two years in the league, Miller is finally getting a foothold in the Saints’ offense. Miller doesn’t have standalone value yet, because Alvin Kamara is still the undisputed lead back in New Orleans, and the Saints don’t have enough offensive punch for two of their backs to be fantasy-viable. But Miller is at least flirting with Flex value, and he’d become quite valuable if anything happened to Kamara. One minor concern is that Taysom Hill‘s return to action after last season’s knee injury could put a dent in Miller’s rushing volume. Hill had six carries Sunday in his first game back.
Hassan Haskins (RB – LAC): 1% Rostered
- Next Opponents: @MIA, IND, MIN
- True Value: $3
- Desperate Need: $6
- Budget-Minded: $2
Analysis: Chargers RB Omarion Hampton has been placed on injured reserve with a foot injury, leaving the Chargers scrambling to fill the void. Haskins, who played for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan, figures to be part of the replacement plan, though he’s likely to share work with Kimani Vidal and perhaps others. (The Chargers could potentially re-sign Gus Edwards.) The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Haskins is bigger than Vidal and is the best bet to handle goal-line work. In his final college season at Michigan in 2021, Haskins ran for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns. But Haskins is a plodder with minimal pass-catching ability, so he’s unlikely to play on passing downs. Haskins is worth an investment if you have a screaming need at running back, but realize that he probably won’t have the backfield to himself while Hampton is out. Also consider that the Chargers’ offensive line has been decimated by injuries.
Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC): 0% Rostered
- Next Opponents: @MIA, IND, MIN
- True Value: $3
- Desperate Need: $6
- Budget-Minded: $2
Analysis: Vidal figures to help fill the hole in the Chargers’ backfield created by the foot injury that landed Omarion Hampton on IR. Vidal and Haskins each played 14 snaps in Week 5. Vidal had 4-18-0 rushing and 1-1-0 receiving on one target. Haskins had 5-13-0 rushing and 1-2-0 receiving on one target. Haskins had out-snapped Vidal 14-2 before Week 5. Vidal, Troy University’s all-time rushing leader, is faster than Haskins and has better pass-catching chops, so there’s a decent chance Vidal will get passing-down work.
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