Who Should I Start? Jonathon Brooks or Dylan Sampson
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2 | 33.7 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 9.7 | 0.1 |
Jonathon Brooks News
Tuesday, August 4, 8:38 AM
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that running back Jonathon Brooks will not play in Canton, Ohio, in Thursday's Hall of Fame preseason game versus the Arizona Cardinals, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. The Panthers aren't planning on playing their starters to open the preseason slate, and it makes all the sense in the world not to put Brooks in harm's way when considering his history of knee injuries. The 23-year-old former second-rounder in 2024 from the University of Texas has played in only three games for the Panthers due to two torn ACLs. The Texas native is fully healthy this summer, though, and heads into his third NFL campaign as the favorite for change-of-pace duties behind Chuba Hubbard in Carolina. Hubbard will most likely continue to serve as the team's RB1, but Brooks has been impressive so far in camp and could cut into his overall touches, making him an intriguing late-round flier at the position, especially if you have Hubbard rostered. RotoBaller has Brooks ranked as the No. 40 fantasy RB for 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 16.9 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 14.8 | 0.1 |
Dylan Sampson News
Thursday, August 6, 10:13 AM
Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson has a clear role behind Quinshon Judkins, but fantasy managers should not assume every Judkins touch would fall to him. Sampson was much better as a receiver than a runner during his rookie year, catching 33 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns while managing only 175 yards on 65 carries. Jerome Ford is gone, which leaves Sampson as the leading passing-down option in the backfield. That gives him some standalone value in deeper PPR leagues. The handcuff case is less straightforward. Judkins returned to full work during the offseason after recovering from a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula, and Cleveland still has 6-foot, 230-pound Raheim Sanders for heavier carries. The Browns also added fullback Michael Burton as Todd Monken installs more gap concepts and short-yardage looks. RotoBaller ranks Sampson RB53 in PPR and RB52 in half-PPR. He is worth a late pick in deeper formats, especially for managers looking for catches from the back end of the roster. Just do not draft him expecting a three-down role if Judkins misses time.
Jonathon Brooks vs. Dylan Sampson
Still trying to decide between Brooks and Sampson? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jonathon Brooks is projected to score 7.2 points this week while Dylan Sampson is projected to score 6.1 points.
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