A 2025 Fantasy Breakdown: Cleveland Browns (AVOID)

A 2025 Fantasy Breakdown: Cleveland Browns (Avoid)

In this article, we will be looking at the Cleveland Browns’ Offense. Offensive context has always been a tool used to help in Fantasy football research. It is no secret. Some players I will draft depending on upside and if their cost falls within the specific draft that I am in, but all in all, I would like to avoid players on these teams as much as possible.

Browns

The Cleveland Browns have had a tumultuous last few years offensively. They gave a Deshaun Watson the most guaranteed money in NFL history with a proven offensive mind in Kevin Stefanski, but it has not panned out the way that they would want over the past few seasons. The best run they had was with Joe Flacco a few seasons ago for about 8 weeks. I still believe in Stefanski, but they have not gotten the help that they needed on and off of the field.

Cleveland QBs

The Cleveland Browns quarterback room is a soap opera. Having veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Flacco can provide passing volume, which would be exciting, but he also did not look as good in 2024 with the Colts as he did in 2023 with the Cleveland Browns. Kenny Pickett, a former first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, is not someone I want one of my fantasy players attached to. He is now on his 3rd team in three years. He is not a skilled passer and will not elevate any of the players around him.

The Browns also drafted two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Sanders had a historic fall to the 5th round. He will be starting in the preseason for the Browns in his first game, but we will see how that goes. There is minimal trust from the new draftees.

None of these four guys is worth drafting in your fantasy football drafts, but If I had to rank them based on fantasy upside, here are my rankings of the four.

Joe Flacco (1st on Depth Chart)
Shedeur Sanders (4th on Depth Chart)
Dillon Gabriel (3rd on Depth Chart)
Kenny Pickett (2nd on Depth Chart)

Cleveland WRs

Cleveland’s Wide Receiver room has some interesting names, including Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Diontae Johnson. All have had relatively recent success in fantasy football. Jerry Jeudy has had an up-and-down career to this point with the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns. He really found success in the weeks last season that Jameis Winston started at quarterback. His value was volume.

In this passing attack, the best chance at volume is Joe Flacco. They aired the ball out a ton with him two seasons ago. For Jeudy, this is your hope. I am not drafting a ton of Jeudy this season. His ADP is 72 this season, which puts him in the back of the 6th round on average. I would take a shot on him if his ADP falls or you are desperate for a WR (Running back heavy early in the draft), but with the uncertainty of the QB Situation, I don’t love the projection for him.

Cedric Tillman and Diontae Johnson are virtually free at the end of your drafts. Worth an upside shot in Round 15 to 18 (If your drafts even go that many rounds), but not someone I would bank on or have a large impact on your squad, at least early in the season. If Jeudy gets injured, one of these guys will become a low-end flex option.

Johnson is a guy who flashed excellence early in his career, but after a season of being on three different teams and 33 total catches, his career may be headed in the wrong direction. Tillman is 3rd year player who had some really promising weeks in 2024 with Winston under center. If Jerry Jeudy gets hurt, he is a must-add player and someone worth drafting very late.

Jerry Jeudy (Draft Below ADP)
Cedric Tillman (Draft late for upside)
Dionte Johnson (Stay Away)

Cleveland RBs

Cleveland’s RB Situation has been underwhelming at the very most since Nick Chubb’s gruesome knee injury in 2023. Jerome Ford has been serviceable, but lacks the firepower to be considered an exciting fantasy player. The Browns recognized that this offseason, by drafting two rookies, Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. The Browns drafted Quinshon Judkins early in the 2nd round, and he rushed to the top of Dynasty Draft boards immediately. There was a large opening for him to take the starting running back role, but after off-field issues,pierr he may be facing a suspension, and he has not been signed by the Browns after the Draft.

This raises many questions heading into this season for Judkins’ availability. I love the player, but his status for 2025 remains in question. His ADP has fallen to 82, leaving him late in the 8th round. I have seen him fall in drafts as well. Until we get further information, I will be drafting him at or below cost. His initial ADP is much higher before the off-field issues. I love where he is at in ADP because of his immense upside. He has the potential for a high-end RB2 upside if he plays.

You just have to understand the risk when drafting him. I would make sure that he is not your RB2 within your build during the draft. You could grab him as your 3rd with league-winning upside.

Dylan Sampson’s Fantasy Draft stock is climbing. With Judkins’ value and status so volatile, he is starting to gain interest in becoming Cleveland’s RB1. Sampson’s current ADP is 153, and if he becomes the RB,1 then the possibilities are endless. Judkins could not play this season, and if that is the case, Dylan Sampson will probably start each week. Here are my rankings of the Cleveland Backfield.

Quinshon Judkins (Draft at or below ADP – Potential League Winner)
Dylan Sampson (Draft slightly above ADP – Potential League Winner)
Jerome Ford (Avoid – Depth RB)
Pierre Strong (Avoid – No Fantasy Value)

Cleveland TEs

Cleveland has had some fantasy equity within their tight end position the last few seasons because of their reliable TE David Njoku. For the first time in his career, Njoku missed a considerable amount of time in 2024. He had been otherwise reliable for a lot of his career as a top-12 tight end. I would draft a guy like him in the 10th round and beyond, but currently his ADP (85) is a little too rich for my blood.

I like other guys later like Tucker Kraft or Dalton Kincaid, much more. With the uncertainty of what this passing offense is going to look like, it just does not make a ton of sense to me at his ADP. The other two tight ends on the Cleveland Browns Depth Chart are Harold Fannin Jr. and Blake Whiteheart. These guys are not currently fantasy relevant. Fannin Jr., a rookie with potential to be a spot starter, is Njoku misses more time.