Hampton turned in one of the most impressive yardage-after-contact creation profiles in recent RB prospecting memory during his time running behind a North Carolina offensive line that often struggled to create yardage before contact. It's no surprise that the Chargers wanted more electricity after L.A.'s backfield ranked in the bottom-third of the NFL in yards after contact per rush and explosive run rate in 2024. Hampton adds a new dimension with speed to threaten defenses. Hampton's offensive environment could be fantastic. J.K. Dobbins was RB14 in points per game before his 2024 injury. With explosive play ability and the potential to play on all three downs, Hampton provides an easy-to-envision outlook for massive Fantasy production. It's hard to imagine Najee Harris cutting into Hampton's opportunities in a significant way, plus Harris started training camp sidelined with an eye injury. You'll like this: Of the 14 running backs selected in Round 1 over the past 10 years, only Christian McCaffrey and Rashaad Penny did not register 200+ touches as rookies. Melvin Gordon, Sony Michel, and Penny were the only ones to not top 1,000+ scrimmage yards. The Chargers coaching staff may tend to handle Hampton with kid gloves early on, but Hampton is worth targeting as early as Round 4 in your Fantasy drafts and has upside to beat that projection.
GM Joe Hortiz said during Saturday's preseason game at San Francisco that Harris (eye) is "doing great, going through all the medical processes," but the running back is "on track, and I think he should be able to go, hopefully Week 1," Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
These comments from Hortiz are a sharp departure from those via coach Jim Harbaugh, who told Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site Thursday that when Harris is "ready to play, he'll be ready to play." Harris has been on the active/non-football injury list since the start of training camp after suffering an apparent eye injury during a fireworks accident at a Fourth of July event. How the team proceeds on cutdown day this Tuesday may be telling for his availability for the season opener Friday, Sept. 5 against the Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. If he's activated from active/NFI, Harris will have a chance to join rookie Omarion Hampton in L.A.'s Week 1 backfield. If he's moved to the reserve/non-football injury list, however, Harris will be required to miss at least the first four games of the campaign.
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Chargers' Najee Harris: Doing more, but still no practice
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Harris (eye) has ramped up his workload of late, with Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh recently saying that the running back feels better with each passing day, Eric Smith of chargers.com reports.
Harris remains on the non-football injury list, limited to individual/rehab work and still not ready to practice with teammates. That's an obvious concern for his Week 1 availability with the start of the season less than three weeks away, but it does at least seem like the Chargers expect him to contribute at some point this season. Harris suffered a fireworks accident earlier this summer, keeping him out for all of training camp and leaving rookie Omarion Hampton without serious competition for first-team work this summer. Harris will be ineligible for Weeks 1-4 if the Chargers don't activate him from the NFI list by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
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Chargers' Najee Harris: Makes limited progress
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Harris (eye) was in a helmet and a weighted vest while walking around the practice field Saturday,Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
Harris has been spotted on the field in just shorts and a t-shirt prior to Saturday as he recovers from an eye injury. His unconventional participation Saturday doesn't signal that he's particularly close to a return from the active/non-football injury list, but it still marks progress in his recovery.
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Chargers' Najee Harris: No timetable for return
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As Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Lions approaches, coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged that there is still no timetable for the return of Harris (eye) to practice, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
Harris, who sustained an eye injury as the result of a fireworks mishap on the Fourth of July, has been on the active/non-football injury list since July 17, though the running back has been spotted on the field during practice in shorts and a t-shirt. Until he's ready to return to drills, 2025 first-rounder Omarion Hampton should continue to see added first-team reps. Once Harris is cleared to practice, he'll be able to make his case for a key backfield role alongside his highly touted rookie counterpart.
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Chargers' Najee Harris: Officially placed on NFI list
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Harris (eye) was placed on the active/non-football injury list by the Chargers on Thursday.
Per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com, Harris, who sustained an eye injury as the result of a fireworks mishap on the Fourth of July, isn't expected to remain on the list long, according to Chargers GM Joe Hortiz. Once the running back is ready to return to the field, he'll be able to resume practicing, but until then 2025 first-rounder Omarion Hampton figures to see added first-team reps, with Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal, Jaret Patterson and Raheim Sanders also currently in the team's backfield mix.
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Chargers' Najee Harris: Bound for active/NFI list
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GM Joe Hortiz said Wednesday that Harris likely will begin training camp on the active/non-football injury list as doctors continue to monitor the eye injury that he suffered during a fireworks incident at a Fourth of July event, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
Harris remains in the Bay Area as of Wednesday afternoon but is expected to report to The Bolt in El Segundo, Calif. later in the day. Hortiz noted the Chargers have yet to ascertain the extent of Harris' injury, but his agent has called it a "superficial" one, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times. Once Harris joins his teammates, L.A. is expected to make the aforementioned transaction, but he'll be able to practice as soon as he passes a physical. How Harris and rookie first-round pick Omarion Hampton fare in training camp and the preseason should determine the breakdown of RB touches between the duo at the start of the regular season.
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Chargers' Najee Harris: Should practice soon
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Harris (eye) isn't expected to miss much time at the start of training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The running back isn't expected to miss any games after suffering an eye injury during a fireworks incident at a Fourth of July event. Harris' agent Doug Hendrickson said last week that the injury is "superficial" and won't prevent the running back from being ready for the start of the season. Assuming the reports are accurate and his vision isn't impacted, Harris likely will open the season sharing snaps/touches with Omarion Hampton, the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 Draft. The nature of that split is anyone's guess, with Harris profiling as a jack-of-all-trades while Hampton is likely the more explosive pure runner.
A statement from Harris' agent Doug Hendrickson on Thursday noted that the running back sustained a superficial eye injury stemming from what was described as a "fireworks mishap" during a Fourth of July event, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per the statement, Harris, who signed with the Chargers in March, "is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season." It remains to be seen if the issue will affect Harris' participation in the team's upcoming training camp practices, but when available, the 2021 first-rounder is slated to handle a key role in a Los Angeles backfield that also includes Omarion Hampton, the No. 22 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Picks up 58 yards in playoff loss
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Harris rushed the ball six times for 17 yards in Saturday's 28-14 loss to the Ravens. He added three receptions on three targets for 41 yards.
Harris led the Pittsburgh backfield in every statistic, though it's difficult to have many takeaways from this game, as the Steelers were down multiple scores for over half of the game. In part due to game script, he was unable to get going on the ground, but he showed some ability as a pass catcher -- highlighted by a 21-yard catch and run late in the third quarter. Harris is now set to enter free agency for the first time in his career, and his market will be intriguing to watch. He has lacked explosive playmaking ability for most of his career, though he's topped 250 carries in each of his four pro seasons and has proven the ability to lead a backfield.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Totals 16 touches in loss
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Harris rushed the ball 12 times for 36 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 19-17 loss to the Bengals. He added four catches on five targets for 20 yards.
Harris has seen his role diminish in recent weeks, though he operated as Pittsburgh's clear lead back Saturday. His stat line wasn't particularly strong, though he did manage long runs of 11 and 10 yards on a drive early in the second quarter, which he later capped with a one-yard touchdown. Harris was forced to the sideline for part of the fourth quarter while being checked for a concussion, but he was able to return and should be ready to suit up for a postseason matchup against either the Ravens or Texans. He concludes the regular season with 1,043 rushing yards, his highest yardage total on the ground since 2021.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Being evaluated for concussion
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Harris exited Saturday night's game against the Bengals with a head injury and is being evaluated for a concussion, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Harris exited midway through the fourth quarter and went to the blue medical tent on the sideline to be checked for a possible concussion. He later had his helmet removed and was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. Prior to leaving, Harris rushed 12 times for 36 yards and one touchdown. He added three catches for 22 yards on four targets. Jaylen Warren has taken over lead-back duties with Harris in the locker room.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: RBs to Sit
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If you have to use a Steelers running back in Week 17 then I would lean toward Jaylen Warren over Harris. Warren has played more snaps than Harris in each of the past three games, and Warren will likely be more involved in the passing game as usual if the Steelers are chasing points. Harris has one catch for 7 yards on two targets in his past three games, and he scored a combined 7.3 PPR points in his past two outings against the Eagles and Ravens. The Chiefs are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Harris is a risky flex option in this matchup on Christmas Day.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: RBs to Sit
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Harris had a disappointing game in Week 15 at Philadelphia with six carries for 14 yards and one catch for 7 yards on one target for 3.1 PPR points. He should perform better in Week 16 against the Ravens, and he had 13.3 PPR points against Baltimore in Week 11. But Harris only has one catch in his past two games, and he scored 7.4 PPR points or less in two of his past four outings. The Ravens are No. 8 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Harris will likely need a touchdown to save his Fantasy production in Week 16. He's a flex option at best in most formats.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Touchdown saves day
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Harris rushed the ball 16 times for 53 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Browns.
The Steelers had a mediocre day offensively, with nearly all of their skill-position players posting modest stat lines. Harris was no exception, as he managed only 3.3 yards per carry despite tallying a 20-yard gain for the second consecutive game. Even with the inefficiency, Harris still managed a decent fantasy performance thanks to a one-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Since Russell Wilson has taken over under center, Harris has four trips to the end zone in seven contests, though he's failed to reach 80 yards on the ground in five straight matchups.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Tough sledding on 18 touches
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Harris rushed 16 times for 41 yards and brought in both targets for 13 yards in the Steelers' 24-19 loss to the Browns on Thursday night.
The Browns' defense came into the night with some extreme home/road splits against the run, and Cleveland's typically stout work against opposing ground attacks at Huntington Bank Field continued to Harris' detriment Thursday. The fourth-year pro was constantly stymied at or near the line of scrimmage, with his longest run going for a modest 11 yards. Harris' yardage total was his lowest since Week 4, but he should have a good opportunity to bounce back in a Week 13 road matchup against a more giving Bengals defense on Sunday, Dec. 1.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: RBs to Start
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Harris is worth trusting as a No. 2 running back in all leagues heading into Thursday's game against the Browns. Cleveland has allowed a running back to score at least 12.9 PPR points in three games in a row, but Taysom Hill also had seven carries for 138 yards and three touchdowns against the Browns in Week 11. Harris has scored at least 13.3 PPR points in four of his past five games, and he scored at least 12.6 PPR points in three of his past five meetings against the Browns.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Falls short of 100 yards Sunday
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Harris carried the ball 18 times for 63 yards and caught four of five targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 18-16 win over the Ravens.
The running back had his second straight quiet performance on the ground, but Harris made up for it somewhat by catching more than three passes for the first time since Week 3. The Steelers have a slate of potentially tough run defenses down the stretch, so Harris' three straight 100-yard efforts prior to Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye might end up being his high-water mark for the season. On the other hand, he'll be facing a Browns defense in Week 12 that just got steamrolled by Taysom Hill for 138 yards and three TDs.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Clear for Week 11
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Harris (ankle) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Meanwhile, fellow running back Jaylen Warren is listed as questionable after logging no practice reps Thursday and returning to the field as limited Friday. If Warren is inhibited or even inactive Sunday, Harris would be Pittsburgh's unquestioned top backfield option versus a Baltimore defense that has stymied opposing RBs to the tune of 3.23 yards per carry (2nd) this season.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: RBs to Sit
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Harris is dealing with an ankle injury heading into Week 11 against the Ravens, but he's expected to play. And we'll see if he can keep up his recent level of production since he's run for at least 100 yards or scored a touchdown in four games in a row. But this is a tough matchup for Harris since the Ravens are No. 9 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Baltimore has yet to allow a running back to gain more than 52 yards on the ground this season, and only two running backs have scored a touchdown against the Ravens since Week 4. Harris could be in trouble this week if he doesn't score, and I don't expect him to have a huge role in the passing game because of Jaylen Warren. I would only use Harris as a flex option in most leagues.
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Steelers' Najee Harris: Doesn't practice Wednesday
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Harris (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Though Harris missed Wednesday's session, head coach Mike Tomlin downplayed the running back's absence, indicating that Harris is among the players he anticipates including in the team's "planning at the latter part of the week." With that in mind, Harris still appears on track to be ready to go for Sunday's game against the Ravens, though he may need to practice fully by Friday in order to head into the weekend without an injury designation.
