Fantasy managers are probably tearing their hair out after the emotional rollercoaster Omarion Hampton has put on them throughout the early portion of the 2025 season. He's gone from potential fantasy draft bust to a league-winning top-10 running back to the shadow realm that is IR designation. And that means, until at least Week 10, you are panicking if you're a fantasy owner of Omarion Hampton.
And let's be honest: he's not going to be replaceable of the wavier wire, certainly not in the Week 6 version after much of the early dust as settled. The best you can hope for are flex-worthy handcuffs at the position or undisputed replacements for other backs on injured reserve. These are a few of the names that have gone largely unclaimed thus far. And before you say anything, no, Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal will both be absent from this list. At best they are going to be a full committee behind a depleted offensive line.
1. Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals (39% rostered)
The only reason why Carter wasn't pulled off of waivers for Week 5 was that fantasy managers wanted to wait and see how the split would go between him and Emari Demercado. And it only took one week for all of those questions to be put to bed: Carter went for a score and 73 total yards (if you're in PPR leagues, he also hauled in 5 catches), and took the lion's share of offensive snaps (38) and rush attempts (18). And if that wasn't to convince you, Demercado likely put himself in the doghouse by fumbling away a crucial touchdown. And moreover, no tough decisions will need to be made down the line, as Carter's value is contingent on Trey Benson staying on IR -- by the time Benson is back, Hampton could return to full form as well.
2. Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (30% rostered)
Slowly, quietly, but maybe surely, Kendre Miller is phasing into a true early-down role in New Orleans. The Giants defense is famously easy to run on (140 yards allowed per game), so maybe New Orleans was just experimenting while they could before facing New England's stouter run defense (85.6 yards allowed per game). Still, Miller outpaced Kamara in rush attempts 10 to 8, and even as a handcuff is borderline flex-worthy. And if Kamara ends up either injured or dealt at the trade deadline, Miller is directly the next man up.
3. Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (16% rostered)
Smith is a gamble in Kansas City, as the Chiefs are popular bets to be aggressive shoppers on the running back market prior to the trade deadline. But the fact is that right now, Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco are simply not cutting it -- which explains why rookie Brashard Smith has slowly been getting ramped up through the past couple of games. Most recently in Week 5 against the Jaguars, he put up 32 yards receiving on 3 catches; and while that was accompanied by a singular rush attempt, it is clear that the Chiefs are curious as to what Smith can offer. And in small sample sizes, he's shown out -- take a gamble on him if you want a pass-catching back with a high ceiling.