Sitting out the first 10 games of the season due to a suspension, some figured that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon would show some rust in his regular season debut against the Atlanta Falcons.
And while Gordon caught just 50 percent of the passes thrown in his direction and failed to score a touchdown, he displayed the play-making ability that we saw during a near record-setting performance in 2013.
Overall, Gordon tallied eight receptions for 120 yards on 16 targets in Cleveland's last-second 26-24 victory. He had a long of 24 yards, which displayed the consistency that we saw in 2013.
Now, what does this mean for Gordon's fantasy stock heading into the last weeks of the fantasy football regular season? And is he going to be a solid DFS buy moving forward?
It's high time we answer this question, not just for you...but for ourselves as well.
Let's first take a gander at Cleveland's remaining opponents (Week 17 is immaterial when it comes to standard fantasy leagues).
Cleveland's Remaining Opponents (Rankings vs FF Receivers). | Week | Opponent | Ranking | FF Pts Against |
| 13 | Buffalo Bills | 9th | 226.20 |
| 14 | Indianapolis Colts | 7th | 214.00 |
| 15 | Cincinnati Bengals | 2nd | 185.90 |
| 16 | Carolina Panthers | 27th | 281.50 |
| 17 | Baltimore Ravens | 23rd | 261.80 |
Some may want to jump the gun and buy into Gordon as a WR1 option in daily's over the next three weeks, but that would be foolish. It's going to be all about where FanDuel and DraftKings value Gordon. If he's a decent value as a WR2 option, then definitely buy in. If not, there should be some concern over the level of competition he's going up against and the fact that he only has one game under his belt.
Then again, Gordon's fresh legs could pay off big time, especially against worn-down defenses that just aren't 100 percent at this point in the season. These are the decisions that can make or break your lineup.
Personally, I'd take a stab at Gordon in Week 13 against buffalo (if he's not among the 10-most expensive receivers). Based off that production, check then you can make a decision on the next two weeks. In any event, Gordon IS NOT a value play Week 15 against Cincinnati unless he's priced extremely low. Again, make sure to check in on that and utilize this information when drawing a final conclusion.
In terms of standard/dynasty leagues, Gordon is a must start. If you're in a standard 2WR league, he's a solid middle-tier WR2 the next two weeks before probably taking on a high-level FLEX role in Week 15 against Cincinnati. Either way, make sure that you don't forget about throwing him in there. Based on the lack of consistency we have seen from receivers in the 15-25 range this season, there is no reason to believe that won't be Gordon's floor moving forward.