NFL Training Camps are buzzing, and 2025 fantasy football draft prep is starting to heat up. Managers everywhere are looking for every edge, tracking every injury, camp battle, and yes, even legal drama, that might shift player values before Week 1. This summer, few off-field storylines have carried more fantasy weight than the legal situations surrounding Browns rookie RB Quinshon Judkins and Chiefs WR Rashee Rice.
We had partial clarity a month ago, but now the picture is sharper. And for fantasy managers, that means some important updates to fantasy rankings, draft boards, and season-long strategy.
Let’s break down what these developments mean for their respective 2025 fantasy football outlooks.
QUINSHON JUDKINS 2025 FANTASY OUTLOOK: CLEARED TO PLAY, READY TO SIGN
If you grabbed Quinshon Judkins in early summer Best Ball drafts at his Underdog Fantasy ADP of 152.7 (RB47), congratulations, you might have landed one of the steals of the season.
Judkins will not face formal charges stemming from his July arrest for misdemeanor battery/domestic violence in South Florida, according to Jordan Schultz. Prosecutors cited multiple reasons for declining to proceed, including late reporting of the alleged incident, a lack of independent witnesses, and the absence of injuries in videos from the same time period.
With the legal hurdle cleared, Judkins is expected to sign his rookie deal soon and rejoin the Browns in time to ramp up for Week 1. This is huge for fantasy managers, because the second-round pick could instantly compete for, and potentially win, Cleveland’s juicy lead back role.
Here’s why this matters:
Jerome Ford has been fine but hasn’t locked down the RB1 spot. Rookie Dylan Sampson is intriguing but profiles more as a complementary piece after his breakout season at Tennessee. Kevin Stefanski always features a solid ground game, but a talented runner like Judkins could still see 14–18 touches per game if he wins the job.
Of course, there’s still a caveat. The NFL is conducting its own investigation into the matter, as reported by Mike Garafolo. That means a potential suspension could come at some point, though there’s no timetable. If Judkins starts the year without restrictions, he could quickly boost his stock into the RB2 range.
For now, he’s a high-upside mid-round pick in season-long drafts and a potential league-winning stash if his role solidifies and if he avoids suspension. Dynasty managers should also be licking their chops because this situation went from “possibly career-derailing” to “major buying opportunity” in a matter of weeks.
RASHEE RICE 2025 FANTASY OUTLOOK: HEARING AFTER WEEK 4
While Judkins is on the verge of returning to the field, Rashee Rice’s situation is a little trickier for fantasy managers to navigate.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rice’s disciplinary hearing is set for September 30. This comes after he was sentenced to five years of probation and 30 days in jail for his role in a multi-car crash in Dallas last year. That sentence cleared the way for the NFL to move forward with its Personal Conduct Policy process.
Here’s the fantasy headache:
Rice will be eligible to play Weeks 1–4. His suspension, expected to be somewhere between two and eight games, will likely hit mid-season. That means you get Rice early, then lose him during the heart of the schedule.
For managers who hate missing players in the fantasy playoffs, there’s a silver lining: he should be back in plenty of time for Weeks 15–17. Still, losing your WR2 for a chunk of the season is far from ideal.
Per Mike Florio, Rice’s hearing will be heard by judge Sue L. Robinson, who also handled the messy Deshaun Watson case in 2022. The process has no set deadlines, but decisions are to be made “promptly,” and any appeals will be handled on an expedited basis.
The Wolf currently ranks Rice as WR19, a notable +9 vs. ECR and +4 vs. ADP. That optimism comes from his massive upside as Patrick Mahomes’ likely No. 1 target. Even with a mid-season suspension, Rice could put up league-winning production in the weeks he’s active.
