Keaton Mitchell (hamstring) will play in Week 1

Omarion Hampton led the LA backfield with ten carries. Hampton scored a short rushing touchdown and lost a fumble in the first half. Mitchell logged 13 pass routes and one target against the Cardinals while Hampton ran 17 routes and was not targeted. Mitchell’s Week 1 involvement could lead to some fantasy usefulness at some point this season. For now he’ll remain a big-play reliant flex play in deeper formats.

Mitchell, a limited participant in practice for much of the week, will suit up for the Bolts’ season opener against Arizona. He should see a handful of designed touches in Mike McDaniel’s offense while Omarion Hampton functions as the team’s lead back and Kimani Vidal mixes in here and there. Mitchell can be used as a second flex option for now. Chargers declared S RJ Mickens, CB Deane Leonard, OL Logan Taylor, OL Alex Harkey, and OL Trevor Penning inactive for their season opener.

If active, Mitchell will be an RB4. The Chargers’ talented running back group goes three-deep, so there is no reason to rush the speedy player back. That said, consecutive limited sessions put Mitchell on track to face the Cardinals on Sunday.

Mitchell went down with the hamstring injury late in camp but returned to practice earlier this week. The team will likely keep his workload light in practice and on Sunday. Omarion Hampton remains the clear lead back in LA, with Mitchell mixing in for some designed touches. He will be an RB4 for his first game as a Charger.

Mitchell missed the last six practices due to an undisclosed injury but was on the field Monday participating in drills. The Chargers don’t need to disclose any specifics regarding Mitchell’s injury until Wednesday, when they release their first official injury report of the season, but his return on Monday is an encouraging sign. Mitchell is expected to work into the mix with Omarion Hampton, who will serve as the unquestioned RB1 for the Chargers this season. Whether or not Mitchell sees enough work to be fantasy viable is to be determined, but there’s some belief he could see some work in the passing game, which could establish a decent floor for him in half and full-PPR leagues. Mitchell is an intriguing stash in fantasy leagues, but managers shouldn’t be rushing to put him in their starting lineups just yet.

Popper makes clear that RB Omarion Hampton will be an offensive centerpiece, but Mitchell should have his own helpful role as well. Mitchell will be involved in the passing game, at times lining up outside and getting involved “vertically” as a receiver. Mitchell will need to maximize his touches if he is going to warrant FLEX treatment as Hampton’s sidekick, and his health remains a question at the moment, as he deals with an undisclosed injury. On the plus side, Popper did not mention the ailment at all, which could be taken as a positive.

Mitchell has been out of action for more than a week after experiencing a “minor setback” for an undisclosed injury. This could be a situation where we’re all left in the dark until the team is required to disclose injuries in the week leading up to Week 1, leaving fantasy managers to plan for contingencies. Any missed time from Mitchell would be a measurable boost to the weekly expectations of Omarion Hampton.

This comes on the heels of a missed session on Sunday for the fourth-year back. The team has yet to release a complete injury update for Mitchell after failing to disclose an injury status the previous day, leaving fantasy managers stuck in limbo with less than three weeks until the start of the regular season. “We sustained a mild setback with Keaton, but realistically, that’s a position that you’re always wanting to have three, and I like what our young guys are doing to press into that group,” McDaniel said Monday. It is difficult to read too far into McDaniel’s remarks without further context, keeping Mitchell a strong streaming option in shallow leagues, for the time being.

This is worth keeping an eye on. Mitchell’s preseason usage indicates he is the Chargers’ clear-cut No. 2 running back, operating in what could be a FLEX-viable role. Mitchell played on 10-of-10 possible snaps across the Chargers’ second and third drives in last week’s preseason game before taking a trip to the blue medical tent. He avoided a trip to the locker room and was allowed to return to the sidelines thereafter. Although the latter aspect is encouraging, today’s absence suggests he is at least a minor injury. The coaching staff is not required to divulge injury information until Week 1 practices begin. Hopefully, someone digs up something useful on this, though. For now, keep drafting him as planned, but be on the lookout for updates.

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.