Kimani

Vidal

Vidal was second on the team in rushing attempts behind Omarion Hampton (9) and ran the second most pass routes behind Keaton Mitchell. Vidal won’t be a legit fantasy option unless Hampton misses time in the coming weeks. He’s a decent stash in deeper formats for now.

Vidal got much of his work in the first quarter before Omarion Hampton worked into the backfield later in the game. Hampton ended up leading the Bolts backfield in both routes and targets, with Vidal a close second in both categories. When the Chargers return from the bye week, Vidal could see an increased role as the team looks elsewhere for production. He should be rostered in most deep formats.

Vidal showed off his potential to be a big-play back on a 42-yard touchdown that gave the Chargers a 17-10 lead. The 25-year-old did nothing outside of that carry, but in a game where offense was limited — limited is putting it nicely — it stood out. Vidal was more effective than Omarion Hampton (33 yards on 14 carries) and Keaton Mitchell (11 on six) but still seems likely to be behind both for Week 6 against the Chiefs.

Vidal took a flip pass from Justin Herbert for a touchdown to get the Chargers to within two scores. The 25-year-old saw plenty of reps as Los Angeles is clearly committed to the committee approach — no running back had more than ten carries — but outside of that score, he didn’t do much with them. The Chargers take on the Broncos in Week 5 and Vidal remains off the fantasy radar.

Mitchell’s box score would have looked a lot better if his 21-yard reception on a route out of the backfield had not been called back due to a penalty. Chargers starting RB Omarion Hampton played all three snaps on the opening drive before giving way to Mitchell, who played 10-of-10 snaps on the second and third drives. Fellow backup RB Kimani Vidal took the field as the Chargers’ kick returner to begin the game. He made his first appearance on offense on the Chargers’ fourth drive. Mitchell could return standalone FLEX value with big-play upside in this role. He reportedly visited the blue medical tent, but was allowed to return to the sideline. Hopefully, this is a non-issue.

Vidal stayed in for two drives and did not catch his only target. Tonight’s start suggests Vidal is behind RB Keaton Mitchell on the depth chart. Mitchell did not play, nor did starting RB Omarion Hampton. Vidal is a proven, capable fill-in starter, but he should only be drafted as the Chargers’ RB3 at this time.

Earlier this week, McDaniel said he plans to employ a hot-hand approach at the running back position and plans to “use all three of those guys probably every game.” NFL Daily co-hosts Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue helpfully followed up on those comments, specifically regarding their fantasy football implications. McDaniel encouragingly prefaced his response by saying, “no one has to worry,” adding that benching productive players is “bad business.” If you were already bullish on one or more of Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal, these comments can be taken positively. Reading between the lines, if Hampton, the starter, proves his value as the team’s RB1, he should receive a fantasy-friendly workload.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said that all three of Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell, and Kimani Vidal will be featured in the backfield this season. “Good news is I see all three of those guys performing at a very high level,” McDaniel said. “Kinda play hot hand once you’re into games.” While that’s not the best news for fantasy managers that invested second round picks into Hampton, the opportunity for the Chargers to turn heads on the scoreboard could result in a case of “a rising tide raises all ships.” McDaniel famously, and recently, made two backs top-six producers in fantasy points per game in the same season, with both Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane finishing 2023 in that range. Whether a similar situation transpires in Los Angeles remains to be seen.

It’s the kind of thing fantasy managers hate to hear. When speaking about his running backs on Monday, McDaniel said, “I see all three producing at a very high level,” while saying the workload for each back could depend on the opponent and who has the “hot hand.” While it’s certainly concerning on the surface, we feel pretty confident in Omarion Hampton having the safest role as far as fantasy is concerned, while Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal could prove a bit more volatile. Their volatility has been baked into their ADP all offseason, as Mitchell is often going in the 12th or 13th round of drafts while Vidal often goes undrafted. It may take some time to get a good sense of McDaniel’s plans for the backfield, but we would expect a clear-cut RB1 and RB2 to emerge this season.

Per Popper, the Chargers really like Mitchell’s ability to “press the edge and get explosives to the outside.” That said, Popper believes Vidal will “give Mitchell a push” for the role. He also believes that both players will make the final roster, regardless. If this is how the depth chart shakes out, one wonders whether Vidal could sneak onto the field in certain passing situations, potentially reducing Mitchell’s standalone viability. Mitchell was seen working in the passing game last week, though — something he rarely did in Baltimore — so it is too early to tell.