The Los Angeles Chargers have signed Najee Harris to a one-year deal with a max value of $9.5 million. The NFL Free Agent chaos has begun. Don't worry. Everyone at FantasyPros will keep you up to date with all of the trades and signings and the fantasy football implications. Be sure to bookmark our Free Agency Tracker so you don't miss a minute of the action. Now, let's discuss the fantasy football fallout of Najee Harris landing with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Right now, Harris looks like the leader of the Chargers' backfield for the 2025 season, with only Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal on the roster. The Harris signing doesn't keep the Bolts from adding to the roster further on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but for now, he's in line to be "the guy" for Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman.
Harris has been a solid, if not uninspiring, running back over the last two years, as the RB25 and RB30 in fantasy points per game. Last year, among 46 qualifying backs, he ranked 26th in explosive run rate, 15th in missed tackles forced per attempt, and 27th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). These aren't otherworldly numbers, but they also aren't putrid. This further solidifies Harris as a solid addition to the Los Angeles ground game. I might be underselling his fit with this team, especially when we dig even deeper.
Last year, the Chargers ranked 15th in inside zone carries. Harris crushed last year with inside zone runs. He ranked third in the NFL in inside zone carries. Among 45 qualifying backs, he was eighth in explosive run rate, 11th in yards after contact per attempt, and 15th in success rate when operating with inside zone runs (per Fantasy Points Data). Harris fits quite nicely with how the Bolts want to construct their run game if this trend holds for 2025.
Harris could soak up a ton of volume this season with plenty of scoring opportunities to vault him from his previous RB3 perch to high-end RB2 status. Last year, J.K. Dobbins was the RB18 in fantasy points per game, operating inside an offense that ranked tenth in red zone rushing rate. Harris could easily surpass that mark in 2025 if he can keep a stranglehold on the lead-back role for the entire season.