Fantasy Football Video: How much will Rashawn Slater injury impact Chargers rookie RB Omarion Hampton?
The Los Angeles Chargers suffered a huge blow to the offensive line on Thursday with the injury to left tackle Rashawn Slater, who is done for the 2025 season due to a ruptured patella tendon. Slater, a two-time Pro Bowl tackle, was one of the key pieces on what was expected to be an improved offensive line in Los Angeles.
Instead, the Chargers have to start the campaign down a tackle, which could have a huge impact on how we approach rookie RB Omarion Hampton in fantasy football.
Yahoo analysts Justin Boone and Scott Pianowski discussed the loss of Slater and how it might affect Hampton in his rookie season on the latest episode of The Fantasy Forecast Podcast.
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Hampton, a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was expected to step in and have an immediate role in the Chargers' backfield. We know head coach Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman want to run the ball plenty. That sentiment should continue despite the injury to Slater. But just how effective will that run game be? And does it mean we need to be cautious drafting Hampton in late August?
Boone, who had Hampton as his RB12 before this news, is going to bump the rookie back down in his rankings as a result. Can Hampton and the Chargers' run game overcome Slater's injury? Perhaps. But only time will tell.
Pianowski points out the difficulty of overcoming an injury on the offensive line for the run game vs. the passing game. It's much more important to the run and Scott wonders if the Chargers might make a move to patch up the O-Line before the season. Either way, it will impact Hampton's outlook and both analysts believe bumping down the UNC product is a fair assessment.
Hampton was expected to have a bigger role given the injury to RB Najee Harris, who has started training camp and preseason on the active/non-football injury list. It's unclear when Harris will get back on the practice field before the start of the regular season. With Harris' absence, Hampton has been given an opportunity to win the RB1 role. That's what has created such fantasy football hype around the rookie. Now, that hype takes a slight hit.