Raheim

Sanders

It’s unclear when he picked this injury up, but it does make the Audric Estime signing make some more sense. Sanders will miss at least four games. Assuming Quinshon Judkins (ankle) is good to go for Week 5, Jaleel McLaughlin and Estime will back him up.

Monken was spotted in a walking boot after Sunday’s loss to the Jets, but Monken said his RB1 will have a chance to play in Week 6 against the Ravens. Judkins rushed 14 times for 44 yards last week and has a rushing line of 73-221-1 for the season, along with 18 receptions for 102 additional yards. Judkins’ practice status will be one to monitor throughout the week. If he’s not able to play, Raheim Sanders would likely handle the early-down work, with Jaleel McLaughlin mixing in as well.

Sanders also lost a few snaps to Jaleel McLaughlin. 4-5 touches have been Sanders’ weekly norm, but that could change for Week 6 against the Ravens after Quinshon Judkins was spotted with his right foot in a boot following today’s contest. There have not been any indications Judkins is dealing with something serious, but it’s a situation worth monitoring ahead of Tuesday evening’s waiver wire run.

He gets the elevation after the Browns place Dylan Sampson on injured reserve. McLaughlin and Raheim Sanders will be behind Quinshon Judkins in Week 2. McLaughlin’s career shows him as a more reliable pure runner than Sanders, but we’re unsure of how the split behind Judkins will go from here.

Sanders entered the game after Dylan Sampson (knee) was ruled out. The 24-year-old had a couple explosive kickoff returns, including a 74-yard return in the second half. He caught three passes filling the Brown’s receiving back role and showcased some burst by taking those receptions for 25 total yards. Sanders is an intriguing handcuff to pick up off waivers, pending Sampson’s status heading into Week 2.

Sampson returned a kickoff and played on a third down play against the Jaguars before exiting in the first quarter. He left for the locker room with a knee injury and was promptly ruled out. Third-string running back Raheim Sanders will get more run with Sampson out.

Sanders signed with the Chargers after going undrafted in April. He didn’t make their final roster, but the Browns scooped him up and gave him some short-yardage work in Week 1 with Quinshon Judkins unavailable. He scored a short touchdown and didn’t touch the ball again until Week 16, after Judkins went down with a season-ending injury. Sanders split work with fellow rookie Dylan Sampson over the final three weeks of the year. Judkins is locked in as the high-volume runner in Cleveland and Sampson can be penciled in for most of the work on passing downs in 2026. That doesn’t leave much room for Sanders, but he has made progress toward earning a roster spot next year.

Sanders drew the start in Sunday’s win over the Steelers, and handled six of his eight carries on the Browns’ first three possessions. His longest gain of the day came on a six-yard plunge on the first play of the game, and he also added a 10-yard reception in the fourth quarter. If Sanders finds himself in another split with Dylan Sampson next week, both backs will be hard to trust in Week 18 against the Bengals.

With Sampson officially active, the rookie fourth-rounder has a chance to lead the Browns’ backfield with Quinshon Judkins (leg/ankle) sidelined. When Judkins was inactive for Week 1, Sampson stepped up to lead the Browns’ backfield with 20 total opportunities, and caught 8-of-8 targets for 64 yards. Playing in a rain-soaked Cleveland, Sampson should be a safe bet for double-digit touches and plenty of check downs from Shedeur Sanders, who has made a living off targeting his running backs this season. While Sampson is active, the Browns did declare QB Dillon Gabriel, CB Myles Harden, OL Kendrick Green, OT Jeremiah Byers, WR Jamari Thrash, TE David Njoku, and DT Sam Kamara inactive for Week 17.

We still don’t know the specifics of Sampson’s hand injury that sidelined him for Weeks 15 and 16, but the rookie running back practiced every day this week and has a good chance of seeing a lead role for the Browns if he’s active. Sampson served as the Browns’ RB1 all the way back in Week 1, and wound up catching eight passes for 64 yards while adding another 12-29-0 on the ground. Sampson would have some appeal as an RB3/FLEX option if he’s available for this week’s fantasy championships. If Sampson is able to go, Raheim Sanders and Trayveon Williams would likely split backfield duties.