X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Josh Gordon - Stash Now Before It's Too Late

That which is dead will never die, Josh Gordon returns. Buy now before it's too late!

Some fantasy owners have been carrying a torch for Gordon ever since his breakout season in 2013, hoping for a return to glory. Gordon has had a lot of demons to exorcise and a lot of doubters to prove wrong over the years, but he's finally back.

Gordon was reinstated from his indefinite suspension on November 1 and will be eligible to return on Week 13, when the Browns face the Chargers. It's unlikely he takes the field immediately after two and half seasons away from the NFL, but dynasty owners may see an opportunity here. Is Gordon still a viable fantasy asset or simply a one-year wonder with too much baggage to take on?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Josh Gordon: Reasons to Believe

It’s been four long years since Josh Gordon’s record breaking, back to back 200-yard performances.  In 2013, Gordon played only 14 games, but in that time Gordon hauled in 87 receptions for 1646 yards and nine touchdowns; all with Brian Hoyer and Brandon Weeden under center. If we project this trajectory to 16 games, he would have accumulated 1,881 yards, which would have been the second-most by any wide receiver in a season in the history of the NFL. Even though four years have elapsed since the season he lit the league on fire, he’s not even 27.  Mike Braud conducted a lucid survey of the age where receivers peak.  He found that the age 26-27 year is often when wide receivers are the most effective, although they can be potent for many years after. This means that we’re getting Gordon at the best possible time, especially for dynasty formats.

It’s been a long road to this point

Josh Gordon has all the potential in the world, but his career up until this point has been derailed by his dependence on a variety of substances, and the willingness of those around him to cover up that addiction. Gordon has been suspended from the NFL multiple times, losing more than a total of three seasons of playing time.  Gordon’s incredible abilities have warranted him far more chances than any other player before him, and now he has been granted his last chance to play in the NFL after convincing the commissioner that he is a changed man.  Spending picks or players to acquire Gordon comes with the “baked” in risk of him falling off the wagon; but I want to believe that his desire to be his best self will overcome any distractions he may encounter.  Gordon’s mini-documentary, Uninterrupted, details this journey better than I can here.

Why should we still believe?

Not only has Josh Gordon grown as a person, but he’s developed into the prime athlete that the community thought he could. He clearly is in game shape, as evidenced by pictures like this surfacing recently:

Combine that with reports that Gordon has shaved a whole two-tenths of a second of his 40-yard dash, it’s plain to see that Gordon has everything he needs to come back and contribute immediately at the highest level. Running at that speed, at that size is only matched by Julio Jones. There will be rust to shake off, but in dynasty formats you’re playing for the long term not for the next week. Even in re-draft formats, Gordon will have several weeks of practice along with a live game to play to integrate himself into Jackson’s system before the fantasy playoffs start. Gordon revealed that he was intoxicated in every game he plaid in since college, without the fog of a drug stupor dulling his senses, Flash could be even better than before given time.

Opportunities abound

The Browns have one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL currently; only the Bears could challenge them for that sad title. According to profootballfocus.com, the Browns do not have a single receiver that has earned an above average grade on the year. Every receiver has been unable to gain separation against man coverage, and haven’t been able to do anything with their opportunities when they rarely catch the ball. The best “receiver” on the team has been running back Duke Johnson who grades out at a very respectable 81.4. When Gordon returns to the team, he will immediately be the top receiver on the team. Gordon has shown the ability to beat double coverage on a regular basis in the past, and with his prime physical condition, is likely to do so again. Not everything about the Browns’ situation is grave, in the off-season the front-office spent a fortune to beef up their offensive line, and according to PFF the results have been solid. No line could perform at the same level after losing an all-pro left tackle, but the Browns have managed to play well even with the loss of Joe Thomas. Besides the left tackle, PFF has graded each other member of the line above average, with Zeitler and Bitonio grading to the point to where they could start on any team.  With these linemen protecting whoever is the QB in Cleveland, it would make sense that Gordon could perform to a similar level to how he did in 2013.

In the here and now, Gordon has four games to play before the end of the fantasy season.  This isn’t as easy of a hill to climb as many have, but there are opportunities for Gordon to help your team during a championship run.  The Browns play the Chargers, Packers, Ravens, and Bears to end the fantasy season.  The Chargers are ranked 11th against the pass, the Packers are ranked 20th, the Ravens 3rd, and the Bears 10th.  This means that Gordon’s best opportunities lie in his first two weeks of his return, and there is ample opportunity during that time to show enough potential that his value may rise immensely very quickly.  If you want to get one of the highest upside players on your team, you need to act before week 13 or it could be too late.  A mid to early second round pick may still be sufficient to trade for Gordon, or in re-draft a low-end starter.  If Gordon lives up to a fraction of his potential, the investment will be well worth the loss.

We have to remember that what Josh Gordon did is unprecedented for someone his age, his mental state, and with his supporting cast. There are many reasons to believe that Flash can return to form, and the best is yet to come.  Last week, Josh Gordon said his objective is to be the greatest receiver that has ever played the game. As cliché as that may sound, he is one of the only receivers in the NFL that could live up to a shadow of that honor.

 

More 2017 Fantasy Football & ADP Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Camilo Doval45 mins ago

Earns Third Save
Hunter Brown59 mins ago

Hurls Gem Monday
Francisco Lindor1 hour ago

Launches Two Big Flies On Monday
Sean Murphy1 hour ago

Blasts Three-Run Homer
Agustín Ramírez1 hour ago

Agustin Ramirez Notches Two Hits In MLB Debut
Kyle Manzardo1 hour ago

Stays Hot With Homer In Third Consecutive Game
Walker Buehler2 hours ago

Sharp In Win Over White Sox
Justin Crawford3 hours ago

Continues To Show Well At Triple-A
Kyle Teel3 hours ago

Hits Third Home Run Of 2025 On Sunday
Tennessee Titans3 hours ago

Titans Have Turned Down Offers For No. 1 Overall Pick
3 hours ago

Saints Targeting Jaxson Dart?
Asbel Gonzalez3 hours ago

Running Wild At Single-A
Kirk Cousins4 hours ago

Falcons Have Had Trade Discussions Regarding Kirk Cousins
Gustavo Campero4 hours ago

Leads Minors In Hits After Four-Hit Day
Atlanta Falcons4 hours ago

Falcons Could Take A Tight End On Day 2 Of The Draft
4 hours ago

Steelers Very Interested In Jaxson Dart, Shedeur Sanders
Sam Howell4 hours ago

Seahawks Open To Trading Sam Howell
Las Vegas Raiders4 hours ago

Raiders Not Afraid To Take A Running Back Early In The Draft
James Triantos4 hours ago

Dealing With Leg Tightness
NFL4 hours ago

Shavon Revel Expected Back Around The Start Of Training Camp
Tylor Megill5 hours ago

Looks Excellent On Monday
Gavin Williams5 hours ago

Records Eight Strikeouts
Cade Smith5 hours ago

Earns First Save
Jesus Tinoco5 hours ago

Notches Second Save
Max Meyer6 hours ago

Records 14 Strikeouts
Drew Pomeranz6 hours ago

Acquired By Cubs
Aaron Gordon6 hours ago

Cleared For Action
NFL7 hours ago

Josh Simmons May Not Be Cleared Until August
NFL7 hours ago

Jihaad Campbell A Candidate To Start On PUP List
NFL7 hours ago

Mykel Williams Still Hampered By Ankle Injury
NFL7 hours ago

Will Johnson Could Fall In Draft Due To Knee Injury
7 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Could Fall Out Of First Round
8 hours ago

Cam Skattebo Visiting With Lions, Titans
Dallas Cowboys8 hours ago

Cowboys Expected To Pick Up Tyler Smith's Fifth-Year Option
Philadelphia Eagles8 hours ago

Cam Jurgens, Eagles Agree On Four-Year Extension
C.J. Stroud8 hours ago

Expects To Be "Running The Show" In New Offense
J.J. McCarthy8 hours ago

"No Limitations" For J.J. McCarthy
San Francisco 49ers8 hours ago

Fred Warner Could Stay Away From Offseason Program
Ousmane Dieng8 hours ago

Still Out On Tuesday
George Kittle8 hours ago

May Not Take Part In Offseason Workouts
Kevin Love9 hours ago

Remains Away From Team
Brock Purdy9 hours ago

Might Not Participate In Voluntary Workouts
Terry Rozier9 hours ago

Hurts Ankle Monday
Damian Lillard9 hours ago

Officially Listed As Questionable For Game 2
Isaiah Stewart9 hours ago

Ruled Out For Game 2 Against Knicks
Spencer Strider9 hours ago

Placed On 15-Day Injured List With Hamstring Strain
Tobias Myers9 hours ago

To Start On Thursday Against Giants
Trent Frederic9 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Monday
Leon Draisaitl9 hours ago

Returns To Oilers Lineup For Postseason Opener
Logan Henderson9 hours ago

Heading Back To Triple-A
Jake Walman10 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Brett Kulak10 hours ago

Ready To Play Monday
Aliaksei Protas10 hours ago

Expected To Return During First-Round Series
Miro Heiskanen10 hours ago

Out On Monday
Ross Colton10 hours ago

Uncertain For Game 2
Gabriel Landeskog10 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Auston Matthews18 hours ago

Finishes Game 1 With Two Assists
Mitchell Marner18 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Postseason Opener
Matt Boldy18 hours ago

Bags Two Goals In Losing Effort
Brett Howden19 hours ago

Scores Twice In Sunday's Win
Logan Stankoven19 hours ago

Nets Two Goals In Game 1 Victory
Brenden Dillon19 hours ago

Makes Early Exit Sunday
Cody Glass19 hours ago

Injured In Game 1 Loss
Isaiah Stewart1 day ago

Iffy For Monday Night
Aaron Gordon1 day ago

Listed As Probable For Game 2
Gabriel Vilardi1 day ago

To Remain Out For Game 2
Logan Thompson1 day ago

Could Be An Option Monday
Martin Fehérváry1 day ago

Martin Fehervary Iffy For Game 1
Tanner Jeannot1 day ago

Remains Week-To-Week, Out For Game 1
Zeev Buium1 day ago

Makes NHL Debut In Playoff Opener
Anthony Stolarz1 day ago

Makes First Career Postseason Start
Jaylen Brown2 days ago

Not Expected To Be Limited On Sunday
Ja Morant3 days ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams3 days ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis3 days ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.3 days ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince3 days ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
Isaiah Stewart3 days ago

To Return For Game 1
Ausar Thompson3 days ago

Available For Game 1
Rui Hachimura3 days ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Austin Reaves3 days ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
Luka Dončić3 days ago

Luka Doncic Removed From Injury Report
LeBron James3 days ago

Listed As Probable For Game 1
Ben Sheppard3 days ago

Probable For Saturday's Game 1
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
Lucas Glover5 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger5 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka5 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas6 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele6 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Austin Dillon6 days ago

Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
Maverick McNealy6 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry6 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Gary Woodland6 days ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns6 days ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala6 days ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai6 days ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre6 days ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap6 days ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley6 days ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF