Dylan Sampson Fantasy Overview

2025 Role & Results

Production & Fantasy Finishes

Sampson produced much more through the air than on the ground as a rookie, totaling 33 catches for 271 yards and two scores vs. 65 carries for 175 yards and 0 TDs in 15 games.

Sampson finished 62nd among RBs in PPR points per game and 66th in half-PPR.

He was, not surprisingly, better in three games without Quinshon Judkins, averaging:

• 11.0 carries
• 29.3 rushing yards
• 4.3 catches
• 25.3 receiving yards
• 0.3 total TDs

Sampson finished RB9, RB42, and RB40 in PPR points in those three contests.

Usage & Role

Sampson was a lightly used passing-down back in his 12 games with Judkins last year. He played just 21.8% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps in those outings, with 64% of those snaps being pass routes.

Sampson averaged 2.7 carries and 2.0 targets per game with Judkins, ranking 73rd among RBs in expected PPR points per game.

In those three games without Judkins, Sampson averaged 11.0 carries and 4.7 targets and ranked RB26 in expected PPR points per game.

Efficiency & Regression

Sampson struggled mightily on the ground last year, mustering just 2.7 yards per carry. His offensive line didn’t help much, leading to a dead-last ranking among 65 qualifying RBs in yards before contact per attempt.

Sampson was respectable in blocking-independent metrics. Among those 65 RBs, he ranked:

• 32nd in yards after contact per attempt
• 35th in missed tackles forced per attempt

He was awesome in the passing game. Sampson ranked second in yards per route and eighth in Pro Football Focus receiving grade among 40 RBs with 30+ targets. He easily beat Judkins in both metrics.

In fact, Sampson was the only RB in the NFL to lead his team in yards per route last year. (Which, admittedly, says just as much about Cleveland’s 2025 pass-catching corps as Sampson.)

Offensive Context

Sampson played on a bad Browns team that finished 5-12. The offense ranked:

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

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

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

Historical Production & Trends

Sampson improved his production across three college seasons at Tennessee, culminating in a 2024 breakout. He ran 258 times for 1,491 yards and 22 TDs, ranking top-8 nationally in all three categories.

Sampson proved a bit less impressive in advanced metrics, though. Among 160 RBs with 100+ carries, he ranked:

• 39th in missed tackles forced per attempt
• 51st in yards after contact per attempt

Sampson totaled 40 catches for 342 yards (8.6 yards per catch) and 1 TD across his three college seasons, topping out at 20 grabs in 2024.

The Browns selected Sampson in the fourth round in 2025. He was one of the youngest players in that class and turns just 22 this September.

Injury History & Durability

Sampson missed Weeks 15 and 16 last year with hand and calf injuries.

A late-season hamstring injury limited him to just 2 carries in his final college game, a playoff loss to Ohio State.

2026 Opportunity & Projection

Projected Role & Competition

Sampson figures to return to a similar pass-catching role this season but could pick up some more work.

The Browns made no major RB additions this offseason, returning Sampson, Judkins, and fellow second-year RB Raheim Sanders. But they let RB Jerome Ford leave in free agency. He led the backfield in pass routes last year and finished third in targets (31). Sampson should soak up a lot of that action.

Judkins projects to control early-down and rushing work, as long as the dislocated ankle and fractured fibula he suffered last December doesn’t get in the way. But Sampson should play plenty on what will likely be a bad Browns team. Cleveland is favored in just one game this season.

Supporting Cast

The Browns face major QB questions in 2026. Deshaun Watson is the early favorite to start, but he’s working back from a second tear of his 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.

Cleveland did bolster the WR corps with rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. They join WR Jerry Jeudy and TE Harold Fannin Jr. to give this team a respectable pass-catching corps. It’s tougher target competition than Sampson faced last year.

The Browns also 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 Pro Football Focus 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 1st and then 18th among OTs in PFF run-blocking grades at Utah the past two seasons.

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

Coaching & Offensive Scheme

The Browns canned HC Kevin Stefanski and OC Tommy Rees after the 2025 season 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, but Monken leaned pass prior to that, with three of his first four teams ranking higher in pass attempts than rush attempts.

Monken has utilized a passing-down back on all of his offenses: Justice Hill in Baltimore, Kareem Hunt in Cleveland, and Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers in Tampa Bay.

Paths to Ceiling

Sampson will need a Judkins injury to raise his ceiling this year. Even then, it’s unclear if the 200-pounder would control rushing work. He averaged 11.0 carries across three games without Judkins last year.

Outside of a Judkins absence, Sampson will hope to compile enough targets to have some RB3 or flex value in PPR leagues.

Risk Factors

Judkins, who got Round 2 draft capital last year, could take on a bigger passing-down role this season. That’d drop Sampson completely off the fantasy radar.