The Cleveland Browns came close to pulling off the upset against the Bengals in Week 1, and this week, they’ll take on another rival as they visit the Ravens in Baltimore. In Week 1, the Browns got exciting contributions from a number of rookie playmakers, including running back Dylan Sampson. In Week 2, Sampson could be joined by fellow-rookie Quinshon Judkins in the backfield mix along with Jerome Ford. It’s a complicated timeshare and situation, but there is potential value from these key contributors.
Let’s take a look at how Sampson was used in Week 1 and what to expect with Judkins possibly available for his NFL debut in Week 2.
Dylan Sampson fantasy football outlook
The Browns drafted two running backs in the NFL Draft last year, selecting Sampson out of Tennessee in the fourth round, two rounds after grabbing Judkins out of Ohio State.
Sampson was the big contributor in Week 1 against the Bengals, playing 45% of the team’s offensive snaps. He had more work than any other running back, though, taking his 12 carries for 29 yards and running 16 routes. Sampson drew eight targets and caught all eight passes for 64 receiving yards. He finished with 93 total yards on 20 touches.
Even though he didn’t get into the end zone, his PPR production pushed him to 17.3 fantasy points, making him the RB10 in Week 1.
Sampson is expected to remain the team’s primary passing-down back even when Judkins gets up to speed. He showed a strong understanding of the passing game in Week 1, and seems to have earned the trust of Joe Flacco. Since the Browns could play from behind a lot this year, Sampson could be a PPR monster.
In Week 2, the Browns take on the Ravens, who gave up five catches for 58 yards to running backs in Week 1. Sampson should get plenty of work out of the backfield once again, so he is a solid flex play in Week 2. He’s only $5,200 in DFS contests like the NFL $3.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]. He is a very solid value option in DFS
Quinshon Judkins Gainwell Fantasy Football Outlook
Judkins was dealing with criminal charges this offseason and remained unsigned until last Saturday, just before Week 1. He ended up with a fully guaranteed contract but missed all of training camp and preseason. Ultimately, Cleveland was granted a two-game exemption in which the running back won’t count toward the 53-man roster.
Though all charges against Judkins have since been dropped, the NFL is still investigating the alleged incident and the running back could face a suspension in the future. Since none has been handed out at this point, he could be ready to play on Sunday.
His workload is uncertain, and he will likely be less than fully up to speed on the playbook. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Judkins is “picking things up quickly.” How much work he gets on Sunday, though, is still a huge question mark.
Judkins is only $5,100 in DFS this week, but even at that salary, he’s a high-risk play if he’s active.
The Bottom Line
I ranked Sampson as my RB29 this week in my top 30 running backs for the week, so I think he’s a solid flex play and good RB3 in standard season-long leagues. He is also a solid DFS value based on that PPR production with upside if he scores his first NFL touchdown. Judkins should be owned in all season-long formats since he should grow into a larger role going forward, but he isn’t a good play this week due to how uncertain the level of his involvement is.
