Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins will not face formal legal charges stemming from a recent incident and likely will be cleared to return to the team soon, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.
Given that he also still hasn’t signed a contract, the rookie running back had been a major mystery in terms of his contributions this preseason, but this news all but clears an avenue for him to lead the Browns’ backfield moving forward.
How does this change the fantasy football draft strategy surrounding Judkins, Cleveland’s backfield, and the RB position as a whole? Read on for our fantasy tips.
Quinshon Judkins’ fantasy value grows
Expect Cleveland to sign the rookie to a deal in the coming weeks.
The Ohio State alum boasts power between the tackles and should thrive in Kevin Stefanski’s offensive scheme. Comparisons of Judkins to former Browns back Nick Chubb scream about his upside.
Like fellow Buckeyes back TreVeyon Henderson, Judkins could thrive in this type of zone scheme.
He’ll likely still be splitting plenty of reps with Jerome Ford and fellow rookie Dylan Sampson (more on them later), but the two alternatives might more directly threaten each other’s workload as Judkins takes the lead.
Judkins could get some work in the preseason, maybe not until the finale on Aug. 23 against the Los Angeles Rams, and he might need time early in the regular season to ramp up.
If he starts slow, he could wind up as a fantastic buy-low trade option.
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Where should I draft Judkins in 2025?
Judkins’ FantasyPros average draft position (ADP) in PPR games has been 114.0 overall, positioning him at RB38.Â
While that’s around a typical read on his price, this news should help him leapfrog names in worse timeshare positions like the New York Giants’ Cam Skattebo (RB32), the Dallas Cowboys’ Javonte Williams (RB34), the New England Patriots’ Rhamondre Stevenson (RB37), and the Denver Broncos’ J.K. Dobbins (RB36).Â
He’ll soon move up in our rankings to the position more fitting of a high-end RB3 as a near-weekly flex starter, regardless of PPR or non-PPR.
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How does the Judkins news affect Jerome Ford, Dylan Sampson?
Ford actually might weather the storm more effectively.
Still a decent PPR fantasy bench stash, he’s the top pass-catching RB in this backfield group and, despite middling pass protection, his familiarity with the offense should work in his favor.
Sampson remains worthy of a late-round dart, though.
The Tennessee grad could more similarly threaten Ford’s work as the season goes on if he proves he can protect the QB on passing downs. The explosive 5-foot-8, 200-pounder has drawn comparisons to the Tennessee’ Titans’ Tyjae Spears
