Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Dylan Sampson

Tuesday, December 30, 11:06 PM

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin has been more involved in Denver's offense since J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending foot injury, but it hasn't exactly given him legitimate standalone value in fantasy football. The 25-year-old had a season-high seven rushing attempts for a season-high 40 yards (5.7 yards per carry) in the Christmas Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs while playing a season-high 22% of the snaps. It was a bigger workload for McLaughlin, but rookie RJ Harvey still had double the carries for 43 yards and caught five of six targets for 33 yards and a touchdown in Week 17. Head coach Sean Payton is going to keep McLaughlin involved as the Broncos look to spark their ground game, but he's going to remain in a complementary role behind Harvey, who is the better all-around athlete. He'll be hard to trust as a flex option in Week 18 against the Chargers, even in deeper leagues.

Saturday, January 3, 12:12 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson returned from calf and hand injuries that sidelined him for two games in Week 17 and recorded 27 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (leg, ankle) on Injured Reserve, Sampson should have a chance to lead his team's backfield once again in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati has been one of the NFL's worst rush defenses in 2025, ranking 30th in the league in yards per carry allowed (5.2) and 32nd in runs of 20 or more yards allowed (19). Sampson will likely split touches with Browns backs Raheim Sanders and Trayveon Williams in Week 18, which limits his ceiling. However, Sampson has recorded 10 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets across his last four games, which provides a relatively safe PPR floor. Fantasy managers should view Sampson as a low-end flex option in Week 18 against Cincinnati.