Having moved on from Nick Chubb, the Cleveland Browns revamped their backfield with two rookies – Dylan Sampson and Quinshon Judkins. Unfortunately, an off-field incident has led to Judkins remaining unsigned as we approach the start of the regular season. That leaves Sampson in a position to make an impact as a rookie. Should fantasy football managers target him?
Dylan Sampson Fantasy Outlook
Judkins was supposed to be the Browns’ RB1 this year. He very well may still be. But as of the last week in August, he’s still not a member of the roster.
Even if Judkins signs soon, he’s missed all of training camp. It will likely be weeks before he is game-ready, and then he will have to work his way up the depth chart into the lead back role. We may not know for how long, but we for sure know that Jerome Ford and Sampson will be in control of this backfield to open the season.
The Browns never intended for Ford to be their lead back. But each of the past two seasons, he’s had to take over for an injured Chubb. At the same time, the Browns told us exactly how they feel about Ford with their actions.
First, they made it clear they intended to let Ford go. He only remained on the team because he agreed to a pay cut. Second, they drafted Judkins in the second round. Third, they drafted Sampson in the fourth round. Does this sound like a team fully confident in Ford?
The veteran status of Ford will make him the weekly starter, but that doesn’t automatically make him the most valuable Browns running back for fantasy. Sampson may be a Day 3 pick, but he’s a pretty good prospect.
The Tennessee product won’t even turn 21 years old until Week 2. In his final collegiate season, he handled 258 carries and turned them into 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns. While not a prolific pass catcher, Sampson did see his target share increase every year of college, topping out at 7% in 2024.
Dylan Sampson’s first reception. He pulls a spin move on 3 defenders for 11 yards of YAC plus the first down. Incredible. #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/GZAPLEdqlX
— Roberto Shenanigans (@Rob_Shenanigans) August 23, 2025
Sampson actually started the Browns’ third preseason game, the only game in which they played all of their starters. He and Ford had a mostly even rotation, with neither having a definitive role. That adds a layer of uncertainty. It also means the workload is wide open.
If the rookie plays well, Kevin Stefanski will have every incentive to give him more touches. Sampson represents upside. Ford represents the floor, and he’s almost certainly on borrowed time.
Somehow, Sampson’s ADP is outside the top 50 running backs. Although in practice, he likely goes earlier in drafts.
This offense isn’t exactly one with the most upside, but we’ve seen lesser-talented backs have weekly fantasy value in similarly bad offenses. Sampson is not my favorite late-round target, but he’s firmly in play once we get to the double-digit rounds. You can do worse for your fantasy team’s RB4.
