Quinshon Judkins: Fantasy RB1 in the Making?
Quinshon Judkins is off to a solid start for fantasy GMs after two weeks of play. A lack of reps in training camp hasn't dissuaded the Cleveland Browns from giving him the starting role. They used him commensurate with his draft status at his position.
Let's look at some data most of you probably don't see, and we'll see what we can learn from it. Perhaps we'll uncover some valuable fantasy insights for Quinshon Judkins that will help us determine if, this year, he can become an RB1 for fantasy GMs.
Quinshon Judkins Data
Let's begin with plays resulting in first downs for the top 16 backs in fantasy football through Week 3 and include Quinshon Judkins in the mix. The average for the top 16 is 35 percent first downs from the run and 56% through the air.
Judkins' rates are flip-flopped to the average. He leads these runners in percentage of first downs earned on the ground by a healthy margin.
Quinshon Judkins and Saquon Barkley are the lowest in percentage of first downs gained through the air. Considering both players are the carrot for play-action passes, this isn't a surprise.
| Player | Plays Resulting in a First Down | |
|---|---|---|
| Run | Pass | |
| Quinshon Judkins | 62% | 31% |
| Saquon Barkley | 55% | 34% |
| James Cook | 48% | 48% |
| J.K. Dobbins | 46% | 42% |
| Travis Etienne Jr. | 43% | 54% |
| David Montgomery | 40% | 60% |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 35% | 59% |
| Derrick Henry | 33% | 50% |
| Jaylen Warren | 33% | 50% |
| Kyren Williams | 33% | 55% |
| Jonathan Taylor | 31% | 60% |
| Javonte Williams | 31% | 56% |
| Chuba Hubbard | 29% | 61% |
| Christian McCaffrey | 25% | 67% |
| Bijan Robinson | 25% | 67% |
| Bucky Irving | 18% | 66% |
| De'Von Achane | 15% | 85% |
| Average | 35% | 56% |
You can definitely see that most of the league relies on getting their backs into open space. The fact that Quinshon Judkins' rate of first downs as a receiver isn't a clear indicator of anything yet -- Judkins missed most of training camp, so his experience with the passing game is still a work in progress.
In the Kevin Stefanski offense that uses a lot of one-back sets or pairs Harold Fannin Jr. in the backfield with a back, the running back must pass protect. Judkins had two rough pass-pro reps last week.
Time away from camp can have its consequences.
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 22, 2025
Quinshon Judkins misses assignment. pic.twitter.com/UfK9Pu5Yco
Quinshon Judkins. Nice cut block considering he was a beat late with the ID. pic.twitter.com/dv2YVUN3Qb
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 22, 2025
Expect Quinshon Judkins to earn more reps as a receiver as the season progresses, but don't expect a huge jump based on the scheme. He's unlikely to deliver garbage-time PPR production in the style of D'Andre Swift or any of the backs on these lists who earn at least 45 percent of their first downs through the air.
As long as the Browns' offense is healthy and Joe Flacco is under center, Quinshon Judkins is a viable fantasy option. Why Flacco? Because neither Shedeur Sanders nor Dillon Gabriel possesses the experience and fluid knowledge of defensive disguises and alignments to change plays that help the Browns' ground game.
Flacco may not be delivering fantasy production of note, but he's keeping this offense from utter disaster because they can run the full playbook and make pre-snap adjustments. Put one of these rookies in the lineup, and you have to shrink the offense.
This would hurt Quinshon Judkins' production. His volume would drop, and his quarterbacks wouldn't get him into better plays or adjust pre-snap looks to his advantage.
You'll get some highlights and yardage, but you won't be scaring defenses. Think Kyler Murray -- fantasy production for him and Tre McBride, but losses for the team and missed opportunities to scare defenses by supporting multiple teammates.
The next chart shows gains earned by the top 16 fantasy backs by yardage increments. I sorted the next bit of data by gains between "4 to 7" yards.