Quinshon Judkins Fantasy Overview

Production & Fantasy Finishes

Judkins ran for 827 yards and 7 TDs across 14 games last year, adding 171 yards on 26 catches.

He finished 26th among RBs in PPR points per game and 24th in half-PPR.

If we omit Week 2, when his playing time was limited in his debut, and Week 16, when he left in the second quarter with a leg injury, Judkins climbs to 24th in PPR points per game and 23rd in half-PPR.

Judkins was a relatively volatile weekly producer. He scored as a top-12 PPR RB four times but finished RB26 or lower eight times.

Usage & Role

Omitting Weeks 2 and 16, Judkins played 54% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps. That ranked 26th among RBs.

Judkins controlled the rushing work, averaging 17.7 carries per game on a 71.9% share. Only Jonathan Taylor and Ashton Jeanty posted higher rush-attempt shares last season.

But Judkins ceded most of the passing-down work, running a route on just 28.0% of pass plays and drawing a 6.4% target share. Those marks ranked 50th and 45th, respectively, among RBs.

Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford combined for a 51.3% route share and 12.7% target share in Judkins’ 12 full games.

Judkins ranked 19th among RBs in expected PPR points per game and 17th in half-PPR.

Efficiency & Regression

Judkins’ 3.6 yards per carry last year ranked 46th among 51 RBs with 90+ carries. The blocking earned a lot of the blame. Judkins’ 1.36 yards before contact per attempt ranked 48th among those 51 RBs.

He fared better in advanced rushing metrics. Among those 51 RBs, he ranked:

• 29th in rush yards over expected per attempt
• 14th in yards after contact per attempt
• 29th in missed tackles forced per attempt

As a pass catcher, Judkins ranked 24th among 40 qualifying RBs in both yards per route and Pro Football Focus receiving grade.

Offensive Context

Judkins played on a bad Browns team that finished 5-12. Cleveland trailed for 54.1% of Judkins’ snaps.

The offense ranked:

• 19th in plays
• 30th in total yards
• 32nd in yards per play
• 31st in points

The Browns’ offensive line ranked near the bottom of the league in most run-blocking metrics:

• 24th in ESPN run-block win rate
• 29th in PFF run-blocking grade
• 31st in adjusted line yards

Historical Production & Trends

Judkins was the 36th overall pick and third RB off the board in the 2025 draft.

He broke out as a true freshman at Ole Miss in 2022, running for 1,567 yards and 16 scores on 5.7 yards per carry. Judkins’ raw production (1,158 yards) and efficiency (4.3 YPC) declined in 2023, though, and then he transferred to Ohio State.

Judkins shared the backfield with TreVeyon Henderson in 2024. Judkins led in carries (194), rushing yards (1,060), and rushing TDs (14). But Henderson beat him in yards per carry (7.1 to 5.5), catches (27 to 22), and receiving yards (284 to 161).

Judkins’ 2024 advanced rushing metrics underwhelmed. Among 31 RBs invited to the Combine, he ranked:

• 31st in yards over expected per attempt
• 28th in yards after contact per attempt
• 24th in missed tackles forced per attempt

Judkins also brought an underwhelming pass-catching resume to the NFL: 59 catches and 0.76 yards per route across three college seasons.

He helped himself at the Combine with a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and 11-foot broad jump at 6’0 and 221 pounds.

Injury History & Durability

Judkins’ rookie season ended in Week 16 on Dec. 21 with a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula in his right leg. He underwent surgery two days later and was reportedly given a 4-5 month return timeline.

Reports on Judkins’ recovery have been positive all offseason. GM Andrew Berry said in February that Judkins had made “really nice progress.” Then Judkins got on the field for May OTAs and looked close to 100% according to Cleveland media.

"Looked pretty good to me,” HC Todd Monken said during May OTAs. “Obviously, there’s been a couple of days he gets a little sore, which is normal, but no one works harder. And you talk about a competitive spirit, and we don’t even get to see him run. I think his rare trait is he’s a bull, like refuses to go down and we don’t even get to see that here. So, I’m excited.”

We’ll keep tabs on Judkins’ status throughout training camp and preseason. But he’s clearly on track to be out there come Week 1.

Projected Role & Competition

The Browns made no major RB additions this offseason, returning Judkins, Sampson, and fellow second-year RB Raheim Sanders.

They did lose RB Jerome Ford in free agency, who led Cleveland RBs in pass routes last year and finished third in targets (31).

Judkins projects as the clear lead ball carrier here. Ford’s departure gives him a chance to pick up some extra passing-down work, but we expect Sampson to handle most of that. Sampson easily beat Judkins in yards per route and PFF receiving grade last year.

In fact, Sampson’s 1.86 yards per route ranked second to only Bijan Robinson among 40 RBs with 30+ targets last year.

Supporting Cast

The Browns rebuilt their offensive line this offseason, moving on from longtime starters Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, and Jack Conklin and adding free agents Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, and Elgton Jenkins, plus first-round rookie Spencer Fano.

Howard, Johnson, and Jenkins are expected to start. Here’s how they ranked at their positions in PFF run-blocking grade last year:

• Howard: 62nd out of 67
• Johnson: 51st out of 64
• Jenkins: 25th out of 33

Fano is a more exciting addition. He ranked first and then 18th among OTs in PFF run-blocking grades at Utah the past two seasons.

This offensive line should be better than last year’s, but it still projects as a below-average run-blocking unit.

The Browns also have a major question at QB. Deshaun Watson is the early favorite to start, but he’s working back from a twice-torn right Achilles. And he wasn’t good with Cleveland even before those injuries, averaging just 6.0 yards per pass attempt across 2022-2024.

The Browns also return second-year QBs Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Neither was good as a rookie, averaging 6.6 and 5.1 yards per attempt, respectively.

Despite the additions of rookie WRs KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, this projects to be one of the worst offenses in the league. The Browns are favored in just one game all season and carry the lowest implied points per game (17.9).

That’s particularly bad news for Judkins, who figures to lose snaps to Sampson in passing and trailing situations. Last year, in his 12 full games, Judkins accounted for 74.6% of his backfield’s expected fantasy points when the Browns were leading but just 56.1% when trailing.

Coaching & Offensive Scheme

The Browns canned HC Kevin Stefanski and OC Tommy Rees after 2025 and replaced them with HC Todd Monken and OC Travis Switzer.

Monken confirmed during his introductory press conference that he'll call offensive plays. This is his first NFL head coaching gig, but he has seven seasons of OC experience (three with the Buccaneers, one with the Browns, and three with the Ravens).

His last three Ravens offenses were run heavy, and the last two got big production from Derrick Henry. But Monken leaned pass prior to that, with three of his first four teams ranking higher in pass attempts than rush attempts.

No RB finished better than 35th in PPR points per game on Monken’s three Bucs teams. Nick Chubb ranked 11th at the position under Monken in 2019.

Paths to Ceiling

Judkins should control carries for the Browns this season. If his efficiency improves behind a rebuilt O-line and the offense gives him more TD opportunities than expected, he could produce as a high-end RB2.

Risk Factors

Judkins’ advanced rushing metrics were just OK last season, and now he’s working back from a serious leg injury. He also projects to lose passing-down work on a bad offense that figures to be trailing often.

If efficiency and game script work against Judkins, he could finish as a RB3.