2025 Fantasy Football: Cleveland Browns Preview

The Browns ranked towards the bottom of the league in almost every offensive category in 2024, including finishing dead last in points per game. They were 28th in yards per game and in the red zone, 30th in sacks per pass attempt and interception rate and 31st in goal-to-go. Heading into summer, it still looks like 6 more weeks of winter in Cleveland.

QB: Joe Flacco / Kenny Pickett 

The Browns swapped out their mediocre QBs from 2024 for a new group of mediocre QBs for 2025. Flacco performed well two years ago with the Browns, going 4-1 with 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Then, last year, he tied his career high in completion percentage at 65.3 in Indianapolis, with 12 TDs / 7 INTs. Pickett is a 62% passer in his short career with 15 TDs / 14 INTs.

QB: Dillon Gabriel / Shedeur Sanders

Sanders is a lumbering QB who evades pressure poorly, misses routine throws when he’s not able to set his base and comfortably follow through. He’s at his best when he’s able to stand upright in the pocket and fire at targets between the hashes.

While Gabriel is limited in what he can provide an offense, he’s the best option from this quartet. He can run a chain-moving offense with his arm and legs that primarily attacks short areas with some intermediate throws. He’ll get the ball out quickly and look to let the pass catchers create.

RB: Jerome Ford

Ford has been a quality 5th-round find for the Browns. He’s tallied 81 receptions over the last two seasons, but saw a drop in his receiving TDs from 5 in 2023 to 0 last year. As a rusher, his yards per carry jumped to 5.4, up from 4.0. Nick Chubb and D’Onta Foreman each averaged 2 yards less per carry (3.3) in the same offense last year.

Ford had 12 carries in the first game of last season. It was the only game with 12+ carries. The previous year, he had 9 games with 12+ carries. Less turned out to be more for Ford in 2024, with a notable jump in efficiency. The Browns drafted 2 rookies in the first 4 rounds to help limit Ford’s reps.

RB: Quinshon Judkins

Judkins has stellar vision and sees it early, which allows him to set up defenders by lulling them with a slow start, then quickly cut or slide step with an explosion to a different hole to catch them by surprise. While he’s not a blazer, his 1.51 10-yard split time shows up when he decides to hit the gas and either run through arm tackles or drop a shoulder and lay a pop on a defender.

Judkins was in line to be the lead back before being arrested for a domestic violence charge in July.  He’s the only remaining unsigned draft pick from this year’s class.  The Browns have said they’re waiting to see how the situation plays out.

RB: Dylan Sampson

Sampson has extreme fluidity in his hips, which allows him to slither through the line and execute spin moves at maximum speed, even through contact, while maintaining pace and balance. His size enables him to get lost behind the line of scrimmage, but also makes him easily movable in pass protection. Sampson occasionally gets impatient and runs past blockers instead of letting the play develop.

WR: Jerry Jeudy

Last year needs to be divided up into 2 sections for Jeudy to tell the story truly. There were the first 7 games with Deshaun Watson at QB: 42 targets for 21 catches, 266 yards, and 1 touchdown with a 50% catch rate and 12.7 yards per reception. Then, the last 10 games, mostly with Jameis Winston: 103 targets for 69 receptions, 963 yards, and 3 touchdowns with a 67% catch rate and 14 yards per reception.

CINCINNATI, OHIO – DECEMBER 22: Jerry Jeudy #3 of the Cleveland Browns lines up for a play in the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

WR: Cedric Tillman

Tillman’s stats aren’t eye-popping on the surface, but the potential he showed over a 3-game stretch last year definitely was. From 10/20 to 11/3, Tillman was targeted 32 times for 21 / 255 / 3 on a 67% catch rate. Several factors contributed to the bump. During that span, Winston started 2 games, Jerome Ford missed 2 games, and Amari Cooper was traded before the run.

Tillman would miss the last 6 games after suffering a concussion. The concussion is troubling due to the longevity of the symptoms, combined with it being the second that he’s suffered in 2 NFL seasons.

WR: Diontae Johnson

Johnson received a ton of targets while he was in the Browns division and playing for the Steelers. He received 144-169 targets each year between 2020 and 2022 in Pittsburgh. He reached his peak in 2021 with 107/1,161/8, but it’s been all downhill from there.

The following year, his catch rate dropped to a career-low 59% and he recorded 0 TDs despite 147 targets. Cleveland is hoping for a return to his 2021 form. It’s hard to buy that after seeing him struggle immensely on 3 different teams in 2024 (Baltimore, Carolina, Houston) with a 49% catch rate on 67 targets, finishing with a combined 33 / 375 / 3.

TE: David Njoku

In 2022, Njoku returned to the type of production he hadn’t achieved since 2018. The next year, he had his first season with 16 starts and finished with 81 / 882 / 6. In 2024, he missed 3 of the first 4 and 3 of the last 4 games.

Njoku picked up where he left off in the game on 10/20 when Watson departed and Winston finished, and over Njoku’s following 7 starts as he put up a statline of 54 / 416 / 5.

CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 24: David Njoku #85 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball after a catch during the second half in the game against the Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

BREAKOUT PLAYER: Quinshon Judkins

Judkins is a traditional NFL-type of back. He’s built for the type of offense that Cleveland will need to run in 2025 in hopes of staying in games. His vision, build, and power will see him become the primary back for Cleveland, allowing Jerome Ford to remain fresh and efficient, with Sampson also in the rotation, as the three perfectly complement each other’s style.

Despite the arrest and possible suspension, Judkins will sign with the Browns and play the majority of the season.  He’ll finish the year with 220+ carries for 900+ yards and 5 TDs on the ground with 20+ receptions.

BUST: Jerry Jeudy

Jeudy has averaged 14.2 yards per reception for his career and struggled with Watson at QB last year. He couldn’t play to his ceiling until a gunslinger like Winston came into the lineup. Jeudy will see a major drop from his breakout year of 90/1,200 back down to 65/900. He’s never been a high TD producer and will finish with 3 for the season.

SLEEPER: Dillon Gabriel

Gabriel will run an offense built on high efficiency, quick timing, and moving the chains. He’ll rely heavily on getting the ball out early to his first or second read, dumping it off to 1 of his 3 talented backs or going underneath to Njoku or Johnson. If it’s not there, he’ll run for it, including in goal-to-go situations. Gabriel finishes with 2,800+ passing yards, 18 TDs / 6 INTs, with 300+ rushing yards and 3 additional TDs.

BOLD PREDICTION: David Njoku

The Browns will utilize Njoku more as a high-percentage target underneath, with Johnson seeing his share as well, pulling away heavily from the career-high of 145 targets that Jeudy set for himself last season.

Njoku will lead the Browns in targets, receptions and receiving TDs in 2025. It’ll be the 2nd time in the last 3 years in which he led the team in receptions and receiving TDs, but the first time he’s ever led in all 3.