Panic Meter: Rookie RBs

Well, the first two weeks of the season have come and gone, and safe to say, several rookies have already had their welcome to the NFL moment. There were many rookie running backs that came into this season with high hopes and excitement surrounding them. But by far the most talked about were Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton, who, as of right now, rank as RB28 and RB44, respectively. Although it’s still very early in the season, these current rankings spell disaster for fantasy managers who drafted Jeanty in the late first round and/or Hampton in the late third or early fourth. In this article we’ll dive into how fantasy managers should be feeling about these guys by assessing their panic level: 1 being no reason at all to get worked up, and 10 being sound the alarm it’s all over.

Ashton Jeanty: Panic Meter: 3

To say that Jeanty’s performance in the first two weeks isn’t concerning would be a lie. However, at the end of the day, you have to keep in mind the situation that he finds himself in. He was selected 6th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft to be the bellcow running back in a Pete Carroll offense. That’s not just a coincidence. Carroll and the Raiders drafted Jeanty with the hope/idea that they had just found the league’s next Beast Mode, and despite his lackluster start, Jeanty has displayed his explosiveness and elite vision several times during the past two weeks. While he has a long way to go to live up to Marshawn Lynch’s legacy, he will have more and more opportunities to prove himself as the year progresses. Following the Raiders Monday night loss against the Chargers, where the Raiders fell behind early and failed to establish the run game at all, Carroll said, “We’re just getting started (with Jeanty). He’s breaking into the NFL. He’s figuring it out. He’ll get more carries.” So despite the slow start, the Raiders are not shifting away from their young RB anytime soon. If anything, this would be the time to buy low on Jeanty if he’s on another team’s roster, or simply remain patient if he’s currently on yours.

Omarion Hampton: Panic Meter: 5

While it’s certainly not time to sound the alarm on Hampton, the trends surrounding the Chargers and their young running back leave plenty of cause for concern. Through the first two games, Hampton has only carried the ball 23 total times for a measly 72 yards, thus averaging 3.1 YPC. Another element that’s equally concerning as Hampton’s inefficiency is the usage split between him and Najee Harris. In week 1, Hampton outcarried Harris 15-1, but in week 2, the carries were split even at 8 apiece. That’s not exactly the trend you want to see if you’re an Omarion Hampton owner. Furthermore, although the Chargers were expected to be a run first team as Jim Harbaugh typically likes to establish the run early and often, QB Justin Herbert has been excellent in a flourishing passing attack. He currently sits at third in the league in both TDs and yards passing, and is fifth in completion percentage. As the Chargers sit at 2-0 atop the AFC west, there’s currently no reason for them to change their offensive approach. So why is Hampton only at a 5 on the panic meter? Simply because it’s too early to go any higher. At the end of the day, the Chargers used their first round pick on a promising running back who dominated in college the past two seasons. He clearly has the skillset to be successful, but at this point, all fantasy managers can do is be patient and hope that it translates.