Who Should I Start? Quinshon Judkins or Jayden Higgins

Tuesday, December 23, 4:08 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins (leg, ankle) underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair his fractured fibula and dislocated ankle, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Judkins suffered the injuries in Week 16 and has now been placed on Injured Reserve, ending his 2025 season. Across 14 games, the 22-year-old recorded 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries. Judkins also hauled in 26 receptions for 171 yards on 36 targets. While Judkins' rookie season is done, he looks like the feature back of the future in Cleveland, provided he can make a full recovery from this most recent setback. With Judkins sidelined, the Browns will likely turn to the running back combination of Dylan Sampson (hand), Raheim Sanders, and Trayveon Williams. Sampson has missed each of the last two weeks with calf and hand injuries, but he could be the team's lead back if he can return in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tuesday, January 6, 12:55 AM

Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins scored in back-to-back weeks to close out his rookie campaign. The 34th overall pick in the 2025 draft has had an impressive season, recording 41 catches (68 targets) for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games. Higgins should continue to operate as Houston's WR2 heading into the Wild-Card round versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have allowed the seventh-most touchdowns and eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this year. While Higgins has seen his role increase as the season has progressed, the rookie is still tough to trust as anything more than a touchdown-dependent option heading into the playoffs, as he has recorded two catches or fewer in four straight games.