A subscriber texted me last week. He was about to be on the clock and needed to decide between rookie RB Quinshon Judkins and . . . anyone safer than Judkins. Given who was available and how late in the draft it was, I lightly recommended him. My thinking was that, regardless of his status early in the season, presumably the non-playoff-bound Browns would give their second-round pick a lot of work late in the year. Because why not get him more reps and assess how best to deploy him in 2026? While fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson might get some run, Jerome Ford will be a free agent in six months. Hapless teams sometimes lean into their young guys when there's nothing left to lose (or win).
But it was only a soft recommendation for two reasons. First, it really comes down to each fantasy manager's risk tolerance. Do you want to roll the dice on someone who could be a top-24 RB in Year 1 (perhaps) just as easily as he could miss half the season while mired in legal issues and/or a suspension? Nothing I suggest changes the fact that each manager understands what they're getting into.
Second, last year Cleveland was last in scoring, and if not for Jameis Winston, they somehow would have been worse than last. (I know that's not possible, but you get the idea.) They averaged only 15.2 points per game, which was more than five points worse than in any other season since the 2017 winless club that averaged 14.6.
But that's not the worst of it. In the 10 games Winston *didn't* start, Cleveland netted only 12.2 points. The only time this franchise has averaged less than 13 points per game was in 2000, which (I believe, but don't quote me) was the last time the Browns were mostly led by two rookie running backs: Travis Prentice and Jamel White.
The Browns' QB situation arguably is worse than last year's. For Judkins to make good on his RB38 ADP, he probably just needs to be the lead back for most of the season. Now that he's in the legal clear, the NFL might hand down a punishment. But Judkins is increasingly well-positioned to become a top-30 fantasy-playoff RB. Anything he does before then is a coin flip.
Two other news stories yesterday with legal ramifications. One is rookie UDFA WR Isaiah Bond, who suggested online that the Browns had signed him soon after a grand jury ruled that he wouldn't be charged with a crime. But Cleveland hasn't signed him yet. So there's that. . . .
Bond would be an intriguing addition on 30 teams. The Browns are not one of them. Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and David Njoku are a fairly solid trio. That said, dynasty managers who can afford to stash him for at least a year could get a nice payoff eventually. Bond is a legit talent.
Finally, Rashee Rice: the bad news for managers is that the NFL will review his case between weeks 4 and 5. So rather than stash him early and then roll him out for most of the season, including the final stretch, managers have to weigh the risk of Rice getting suspended later in the year. As with Judkins, there are no right answers here. His ADP three days ago was WR22. Now it's WR24, just one spot ahead of teammate Xavier Worthy. Drafting both would be pretty expensive, as they're bordering on overvalued. Let's see how far Rice falls in the coming week; it he moves below the top 30, I'd call him a bargain.
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