Week 1, 2025 fantasy finishes: -Justin Fields QB2 -JJ McCarthy QB12 -Chuba Hubbard RB8 -Dylan Sampson RB9 -Aaron Jones RB12 -Zay Flowers WR1 -Keon Coleman WR2 -Quentin Johnston WR3 -Deebo Samuel WR6 -Hollywood Brown WR9 -Keenan Allen WR10 -Marvin Harrison WR12 -Juwan Johnson TE1

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PositiveMatchupSep 9, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Sampson has a clear receiving advantage over Quinshon Judkins and should benefit if the Jaguars' elite run defense (ranked second in EPA allowed per rushing attempt) forces the Browns into more dropbacks. Sampson's receiving metrics significantly outpace Judkins: 2.01 yards per route run vs. 1.17 for Judkins; 7.13 yards per target vs. 5.03 for Judkins; 8.21 yards per reception vs. 6.58 for Judkins.

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PositiveValueSep 9, 2026RotoWire NFL Articles

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PositiveUsageSep 8, 2026Fantasy Life Articles

Sampson caught all eight targets for 64 yards while handling 20 touches against the Bengals in Week 1 of 2025, just one fewer than Jonathan Taylor; his receiving performance may be difficult to repeat, but he will remain fantasy relevant.

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PositiveProjectionSep 8, 2026Yahoo Fantasy Football

Ranked as the forty-sixth-best running back for Week 1 by Daniel Dobish of TheHuddle.com, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars at home.

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NegativeProjectionSep 8, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson is ranked as RB3/4 for Week 1 against Jacksonville.

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PositiveSleeperSep 8, 2026FantasyPros Articles

The source identifies Sampson as a waiver wire pickup with standalone value in deep PPR leagues despite the Browns' expected offensive struggles. Sampson showed legitimate receiving skills behind Quinshon Judkins last season, averaging 2.01 yards per route run, 9.82 yards after the catch per reception, and 0.28 targets per route run per the Fantasy Points Data Suite. He should remain involved under new head coach Todd Monken.

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NegativeProjectionSep 8, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson ranked RB52 in 2026 fantasy football draft rankings from FantasyPros' consensus of most accurate experts.

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PositiveValueSep 8, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson ranked RB52 with ADP of 117; consensus rank 219, expert consensus 154, with 22 spots of variance and 58-spot disagreement among experts, indicating significant expert disagreement with some valuing him much higher.

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PositiveSleeperSep 8, 2026Yahoo Fantasy Football

Featured in recommended waiver wire targets for Week 1; identified as a player to get ahead of the rush on before the season begins.

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NegativeProjectionSep 7, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson is ranked RB51 in FantasyPros draft rankings with an ADP of 116 and projected 250 yards, 156 touches, 23 carries, and 57 touchdowns.

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NegativeProjectionSep 7, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Ranked RB51 in 2026 draft rankings with 250 projected yards and +57 differential; ADP rank 150.

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PositiveSleeperSep 6, 2026RotoWire

Dylan Samson is a highly valuable pass-catching handcuff behind Quinshon Judkins; he would see significant work if the starter missed time, potentially sharing the backfield with Raheem Sanders.

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PositiveSleeperSep 5, 2026FantasyPros Articles

RB at CLE with ADP 206 (RB61) offers standalone value in deep PPR leagues despite Browns' offensive struggles. Showed legitimate receiving skills behind Quinshon Judkins last season, averaging 2.01 yards per route run, 9.82 yards after the catch per reception, and 0.28 targets per route run per Fantasy Points Data Suite. Should remain involved under new head coach Todd Monken.

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NegativeProjectionSep 5, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson ranked RB52 in FantasyPros' consensus expert rankings for 2026; ADP consensus at 125 with range 209–159.

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NegativeSleeperSep 4, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson is a capable back who could emerge as Cleveland's preferred pass-catcher, leaving Judkins at risk of being limited to early-down work and touchdown-dependent production. Sampson offers a more appealing bet roughly 100 picks later than Judkins' fifth-round ADP.

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NegativeValueSep 3, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson is trending down with a -2 ADP movement, indicating declining draft interest in the Cleveland running back.

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NegativeValueSep 3, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson ranks RB50 but has fallen 2 spots in ADP, appearing on the trending-down list; the decline reflects reduced market interest.

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PositiveSleeperSep 3, 2026Fantasy Football Weekly

Dylan Samson is highlighted as a sneaky flex play, particularly in PPR formats. He led all running backs with over 40 targets in target-per-route-run (28%) and yards-per-route-run (1.9). The source views him as a strong contingency target for negative game scripts in Cleveland.

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NegativeValueSep 3, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Sampson is listed among 21 late-round draft picks experts love, with expert consensus ranking (ECR) of 154 versus average draft position (ADP) of 148, a 58-spot gap favoring the expert consensus. He is ranked RB51 in the expert rankings.

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PositiveSleeperSep 2, 2026RotoWire NFL Articles

Some of his per-route efficiency numbers are up there with the league's best pass-down backs; the source argues Sampson can be viewed as a cheaper Tyjae Spears or a more expensive Justice Hill, positioning him as a late-round value play.

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PositiveUsageSep 1, 2026Zain Dhanani

Zain Dhananion X

On Dylan Sampson: Keep hearing it and of course it is speculative by all the beats, but 3 sources have said it Dylan Sampson is in his own role (similar to Justice Hill) Raheim Sanders is the Quinshon Judkins direct backup via @dan_labbe

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PositiveDepth ChartSep 1, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Dylan Sampson is part of the Cleveland Browns' featured backfield alongside second-year back Quinshon Judkins and Raheim Sanders, with Jaleel McLaughlin joining the practice squad as injury depth.

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NegativeRoleSep 1, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Sampson is listed as a running back in the Browns' backfield, with fullback Michael Burton potentially lining up in front of him in the backfield or at tight end/H-back spots depending on how head coach Todd Monken uses the formation.

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NegativeRoleSep 1, 2026Dawgs By Nature

Sampson is listed as a running back who may benefit from fullback Michael Burton lining up in front of him in the backfield, depending on how Todd Monken uses the fullback in his offense.

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PositiveDepth ChartSep 1, 2026Flock Fantasy

Flock Fantasy identifies Dylan Samson as one of three preferred handcuff running backs (alongside Ray Davis and Kayn Black). If Quon Sean Judkins gets injured, Dylan Samson becomes a start-worthy option.

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PositiveSleeperSep 1, 2026Footballguys

Injury-away running back target for late-round upside; source recommends filling bench with these players, emphasizing that if the starter ahead of Sampson goes down, he could become an RB1; floor is irrelevant, ceiling is the focus.

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NegativeValueAug 31, 2026ESPN Fantasy Football

Drafted as RB5 in Round 14, Pick 7 (14.7) with a Week 11 bye; positioned as the fifth running back off the board in this mock draft.

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NegativeDepth ChartAug 31, 2026Dawgs By Nature

Sampson appears on both the 2025 and 2026 initial 53-man rosters, indicating roster continuity at RB despite the overall 'much improved' RB room verdict.

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NegativeProjectionAug 31, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Dylan Sampson ranked RB51 in 2026 draft rankings with ADP of 110 and projected 268 yards, 25 touchdowns.

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PositiveValueAug 30, 2026Mattek Fantasy Football

JJ McCarthy selects Dylan Samson as a running back, emphasizing the value of stacking back-to-back Cleveland Browns players. McCarthy states "anytime you can take back-to-back Cleveland Browns, you absolutely have to do it," indicating he views the Browns' backfield as a strong value opportunity.

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PositiveSleeperAug 30, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Ranked as the No. 9 running back sleeper by FantasyPros experts; ECR of 50 vs. ADP of 57 indicates expert consensus willing to reach for him relative to market expectations.

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PositiveValueAug 29, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Listed as a deep-league value pick (Outside Top 200 / Non-Rookies), indicating the source views him as undervalued in deeper formats.

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PositiveSleeperAug 29, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Listed as a sleeper running back for the 2026 fantasy football season.

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PositiveValueAug 29, 2026Ron Stewart

The source expresses high conviction in Dylan Samson, stating 'I have so much Dylan Samson' before selecting him in the draft; this pick brings the team to five running backs, which the source deems sufficient depth.

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