#245 overall · CLE · 55.0 projected half-PPR pts · -61.8 Draft Value
Dylan Sampson — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
The case for drafting him
Dylan Sampson's 2025 season showed a receiving presence that matters in half-PPR formats. He turned 40 targets into 33 receptions — an 82.5% catch rate — for 271 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. That kind of target efficiency from a backfield player is a real asset, and it represents the entirety of his NFL production across the three-year window from 2023 through 2025. If his role expands in Cleveland, that receiving floor is the foundation to build on.
What the model projects
The projection for Sampson is 55.0 half-PPR fantasy points. His draft value sits at -61.8, meaning he projects below replacement level at the running back position. He ranks RB52 at his position and #245 overall, placing him in Tier 9 on the board. These are deep-roster numbers, not starter numbers.
| Att | Comp | Pass yds | Pass TD | INT | Car | Rush yds | Rush TD | Tgt | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD | Fum | FG | XP | Half-PPR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 175 | 0 | 40 | 33 | 271 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 71.1 |
| 3-yr avg | — | — | — | — | — | 65 | 175 | — | 40 | 33 | 271 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 73.1 |
The range of outcomes
Sampson's 2025 stat line — 65 rush attempts for 175 yards, 33 receptions for 271 yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns — is the full scope of his NFL track record. The three-year aggregate from 2023 to 2025 is identical, confirming that all of his NFL production came in 2025. That concentration of data means the outcome band is wide. A season in which his role grows meaningfully would look very different from one in which it contracts. At 55.0 projected points, the baseline expectation is modest, and the upside is contingent on opportunity that isn't yet established.
How to draft him
Sampson does not have a market ADP — he is not being drafted consistently enough across platforms to register one. That tells you everything about where he sits in the consensus: he is a late-add or waiver-wire name, not a pick you plan around. At RB52 and #245 overall in Tier 9, he belongs on the back end of your roster or on your watch list, not in your draft plan. Monitor his role in Cleveland before committing a pick.
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Questions drafters ask
He ranks RB52 and #245 overall with a draft value of -61.8, projecting below replacement level at 55.0 half-PPR points. He has no market ADP, meaning he isn't being drafted consistently enough to register one. He's a watch-list name, not a planned pick.
In 2025 he saw 40 targets, caught 33 of them for 271 yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. That 82.5% catch rate is the most encouraging part of his profile, and it represents his entire NFL receiving history across the 2023–2025 window.
His full NFL rushing history through 2025 is 65 attempts for 175 yards and 0 rushing touchdowns — all of it accumulated in 2025.
He is in Tier 9, which reflects his position near the bottom of the overall board at #245 overall. Tier 9 is a deep-roster tier, not a startable one under current projections.