Should I Start Dylan Sampson?

Wednesday, August 26, 8:52 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson remains in the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, but he should still carve out a role this season as a key pass-catching option for veteran starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. Sampson had 33 catches for 271 receiving yards (and just 175 rushing yards) as a rookie last year. For the most part, he operated behind fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins and mostly saw the field on passing downs. Judkins is expected to be the lead back once Week 1 comes around, so the big question is whether Sampson can have enough involvement to get on the weekly fantasy radar. It's not as simple as Judkins getting the early downs and Sampson getting the passing downs, as the former is a very capable pass catcher, and the latter does earn some carries from time to time, too. For now, Sampson has a little bit of RB3/flex appeal in deeper full-PPR leagues, but in all other formats, he's a better fit as a handcuff for fantasy managers who already have Judkins on their roster. Sampson is the RB53 in RotoBaller's latest half-PPR and full-PPR draft rankings for the 2026 fantasy football season.