The Cleveland Browns had a rough time in Week 5. Riding a three-game winning streak, Cleveland got handled offensively, scoring only 12 points against the New York Jets in a loss. To make matters worse, starting running back Quinshon Judkins suffered an ankle injury. With his status for Week 6 against the Ravens in jeopardy, is Dylan Sampson worth a bench stash on waivers?
Browns Injury Outlook
First things first, we need the details on the Browns injury report, including both Judkins and Sampson.
Sampson, the second-year back out of Tennessee, has been inactive for the last four games due to a knee injury sustained in Week 1. He managed only two snaps, both on special teams, before going down. The Browns placed him on short-term IR and had good news this week about Sampson’s status. ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reported that Browns head coach Todd Monken said there is a “possibility” that Sampson’s 21-day practice window will open this week. It’s a good sign that Sampson will be back in the lineup before the end of the month, but a return in Week 6 sounds unlikely.
Monken is also optimistic about Judkins in Week 6. As Oyefusi reported, Monken called Judkins’ injury a “tweak” and described his starting running back as day-to-day, without ruling him out for Week 6. It’s a very positive sign for Judkins and his fantasy owners; if he misses any time at all, it’s likely to be a week-long absence at most.
Fantasy Verdict
Frankly, we don’t need to know anything about these two running backs’ production to make a decision here. Judkins will almost certainly return before Sampson, and when Sampson does, we don’t have much evidence that he will be the backup running back. Raheim Sanders has been a solid enough change-of-pace back, and the Browns still value Sampson as a kick returner. I’d stay away from Sampson on waivers; even if you have an open IR spot to stash him, he’s likely less valuable than the player you’d be dropping him for. Sampson is a fine pickup if you have an open bench spot, but is a low-upside lottery ticket.
