Quinshon Judkins vs Bucky Irving

“Overvalued: Quinshon Judkins, Running Back (RB23, Pick 52 OVR) Quinshon Judkins was a great talent coming out of college, but had a shortened offseason thanks to his domestic violence “issues” (a euphemism to say that he beat a woman). He ended his rookie year by destroying his leg late in the season, and is recovering from his leg and ankle injury.”

“Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE) Judkins was off to a strong start as a rookie before a fractured fibula ended his season. Recovery timelines from that type of injury have been mixed for other NFL players, though Judkins is young enough that he’s had ample time to heal.”

“Even with Dylan Sampson around, Judkins is the workhorse and could get 250+ touches assuming good health for the entire season. Now a second-year running back, Judkins is in the window of time when running backs start to explode.”

“Judkins has three-down upside and should be a target wherever he falls on draft day.”

“Judkins had at least 18 rushing attempts for 110 yards or a touchdown in three consecutive games after making his debut. Furthermore, Judkins averaged 17.4 PPR fantasy points per game in the six contests with 18+ rushing attempts.”

“Judkins finished as the RB26 in PPR formats with 169.8 fantasy points, a baseline he should surpass with a full workload under head coach Todd Monken. There is no reason he can't push into RB1 territory this season and remain there beyond 2026.”

“Quinshon Judkins was trying to overcome a bad offense in 2025 and may see that same dilemma in 2026. Judkins passed the eye test when he was on the field before injury, and he looks explosive right now in practice, too. Even though 67% of his runs went for 3 or fewer yards (worst rate in the NFL), he was still a workload monster who got 34% of the Browns' rush attempts and targets.”

“The video highlights from minicamp showed a spry, healthy-looking Quinshon Judkins. That was a little surprising, given the brutal leg injury he's been rehabbing from.”

“Judkins is in line for ample touch volume again, but the constraints of the Cleveland offense will almost certainly limit his touchdowns and hinder his efficiency. Quinshon Judkins looks like a volume trap.”

“Judkins averaged 18.3 touches a game for the Browns as a rookie, even though he missed training camp, the preseason, and Week 1 due to legal issues. One reason for the discount is that Judkins is coming back from a significant injury. He dislocated his ankle and fractured his fibula in Week 16.”

“Even glancing back to his days at Ohio State, Judkins wasn't used much as a receiver, in favor of his more bruising style. I don't envision him catching more than 35 passes after he saw fewer than three targets per game in 2025, especially given the receiving threats the Browns possess.”

“Judkins is a good player, but his draft day cost assumes a bigger workload than the data suggests he'll get, especially with Dylan Sampson as a better pass-catcher who will likely split carries in head coach Todd Monken's rotation.”

“8 | Diff: +3 Over the last two seasons, with Bucky Irving in town, Rachaad White was a more effective per-touch player, but with Irving out of the lineup last year, he proved again that he can carry the mail (although while being horribly inefficient).”

“Bucky Irving ‘s rookie season was as impressive as they come, considering his draft capital (125th overall).”

“Bucky Irving was the only top-12 drafted RB to miss more than two games.”

“Top-12 Drafted RBs in 2025 RB 2025 ADP 2024 Finish 2025 Games Played Bijan Robinson RB1 RB3 17 Saquon Barkley RB2 RB13 16 Jahmyr Gibbs RB3 RB4 17 Christian McCaffrey RB4 RB1 17 Derrick Henry RB5 RB7 17 Ashton Jeanty RB6 RB12 17 Josh Jacobs RB7 RB15 15 De’Von Achane RB8 RB6 16 Jonathan Taylor RB9 RB2 17 Bucky Irving RB10 RB33 10 Chase Brown RB11 RB8 17 Kyren Williams RB12 RB9 17 2025 RB Health Last season, nine out of 12 top RBs drafted finished as an RB1, resulting in a mostly chalky season at the top for RBs.”

“Bucky Irving checks all the boxes when it comes to identifying a true “buy low” player.”

“After finishing his rookie season as the RB13, averaging 14.4 PPR fantasy points per game, Bucky Irving regressed last year and struggled to stay healthy, missing seven contests. Furthermore, Irving had offseason shoulder surgery and might not be fully ready for training camp.”

“Irving finished dead last in that metric among qualifying running backs last season, which sounds damning, but he ranked sixth in the same metric in 2024. The difference is the offensive line: Tampa Bay’s line ranked second in adjusted line yards during Irving’s rookie season and collapsed to 22nd last year due to injuries.”

“Even before the injury that sidelined him, Irving averaged just 3.3 yards per carry while ranking 32nd in explosive yards, 45th in missed tackles forced per attempt and 33rd in runs for first downs at his position. With Tampa Bay deploying a full rotation of backs, it feels extremely hard to replicate.”

“Bucky Irving is a favorite draft target in the fifth round based on ADP.”

“With his second season being muddied with injuries and mental well-being issues, he enters his third season as a true fantasy question mark. This offseason, the Buccaneers gave Kenneth Gainwell a substantial contract and also brought back Sean Tucker. If both of these backs stick to their respective roles, we are looking at an early-down back in Irving who will be limited.”

“Who would have thought that the best back in the class by far was the sixth one selected on draft day? Taken with the 125th pick by the Buccaneers, Bucky Irving's hard-nosed running for a back his size won over fantasy managers.”

“Irving also has to deal with the arrival of Kenneth Gainwell, who signed a two-year deal with Tampa Bay. Gainwell has garnered plenty of praise this offseason, with head coach Todd Bowles recently saying Gainwell is the 1b to Irving's 1a.”