Fantasy Football Player Notes

Omarion Hampton finished his rookie season as RB16 in PPG in 9 games played, but he suffered from a tough situation. The Chargers were gutted by injuries on their offensive line and to their starting QB. The rookie RB dealt with own injuries as well. But Hampton flashed enough upside to be worth buying into as a fantasy RB1 behind a healthy OL in 2026 with Mike McDaniel stepping in as the Chargers new offensive coordinator. He played four games with a 79% plus snap share, averaging 17.5 PPG. The former UNC product received bell-cow level usage, averaging 17.3 touches per game (tied for top-12 at the position). Also played four games with five or more catches (7th in receptions per game at 3.6). PFF ranked him as the 8th-best graded rusher, finishing 11th in yards after contact per attempt (3.34).

Don't hold the OL injuries against the Chargers' skill players. Ladd McConkey specifically. The Chargers' WR failed to live up to his expectations from his rookie season, as Keenan Allen's presence capped his target/production ceiling. The 33-year-old WR LED the Chargers in targets under OC Greg Roman (hyper-targeted on third downs). But with Roman replaced by Mike McDaniel, we should expect McConkey to finish closer to his rookie season, when he averaged 2.6 YPRR. McDaniel knows how to deploy his WRs to achieve peak efficiency both for real-life and fantasy purposes.

Justin Herbert finished the 2025 season as the QB10 in PPG, mostly on the back of his rushing production (6th in rushing yards per game at 31.1). Career highs in rushing yards and carries. Tied Josh Allen with the most boom finishes (4). But the losses on the offensive line crushed his ceiling, along with his own injuries. With a healthier OL in 2026, Herbert can flirt with elite fantasy QB status. Five games with Joe Alt in 2025: Hebert averaged nearly 24 PPG (23.9). 12 games without Alt? 16.2 PPG.