Josh Gordon: Complete Fantasy Profile and Draft Strategy

Unless you're in a super deep league or large keeper league, Josh Gordon shouldn't be on your fantasy radar. Yet. 

The uber-talented rookie is incredibly raw, but there's a reason the Cleveland Browns spent their second-round supplemental draft pick on him. His combination of speed and size had plenty of scouts drooling, and he's in the right situation to put those tools to work. 

His may not be a fantasy stud quite yet, but his future is incredibly bright.

Let's take a closer look at Gordon's fantasy prospects. 

What Round Should You Take Gordon?

As it currently stands, Gordon is owned in just 1.5 percent of ESPN leagues, and according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com, he isn't even drafted among the top 71 receivers on average. 

Translation: If you are in a single-year 14-team—or shallower—league, you shouldn't draft Gordon. Simply keep an eye on him, as you are almost assured of finding him on the waiver wire after your draft.

As we get into the keeper and deeper leagues, however, Gordon is someone you will want to get your hands on. In Yahoo!'s recent 20-team expert draft, the 21-year-old was drafted in the 10th round with the 189th pick. 

Mike Woellert took him as his fourth wide receiver, meaning he valued him somewhere between the 60th and 80th-best receiver. 

If you get a bunch of bench spots and get to keep a lot of keepers, I wouldn't be afraid to take Gordon in the last round of a 12- or 14-team league. The risk is minimal and the reward is great. On top of that, you should be willing to reach for him a little bit in all keeper leagues in general. 

Latest News

After a rough start to the preseason, Gordon has been receiving rave reviews in practice. The news comes from ESPN Cleveland:

"

That’s why it was exciting to hear (quarterback Brandon) Weeden say after the game, “I think where (Gordon has) come from Day One to where he is now, I think he’s come the most of anyone on this football team. I’m really happy with Josh.”

"

That came following a game in which Gordon grabbed a 28-yard catch over Pro Bowler Nnamdi Asomugha. The arrow is definitely pointing up. 

Season Projections

Greg Little had a nice rookie season for Cleveland last year, but there is no one in this receiving corps who is as exciting as Gordon. 

As he continues to improve, there's no question that he'll crack the starting lineup very soon and start pulling in some long grabs from rookie fireballer Brandon Weeden. 

Of course, he's still a rookie and he's still someone with very little collegiate experience under his belt. For as many highlight plays as he will produce, he'll likely come back with just as many stinkers.

In the end, I'll say 35 grabs for 600 yards and four touchdowns.

Splits Situation

As it stands, Gordon is listed behind Greg Little and Mohamed Massaquoi on the depth chart, but if he continues to make strides like he has in the past month, it won't be long before he's starting opposite Little. 

Players to Take Before Gordon

At whatever point you take Gordon, you'll likely simply be looking for upside. Players I like more than him that are going late in drafts include Alshon Jeffery,  Jon Baldwin, Michael Floyd and Brian Quick .

Players You Should Take Gordon Over

Again, whenever you target Gordon, you're probably at the point where you aren't grabbing starters. That means there's no real point in taking low-ceiling players.

In that case, you should take Gordon before players like Steve Smith, Eddie Royal, Davone Bess, Nate Burleson, Stephen Hill (definitely upside there, but not with the guys who are throwing him the ball) and James Jones, who are all ranked above him. 

Summary

Depending on the league, you'll be able to grab Gordon off the waiver wire or very late in your draft, but he has the skills, situation and upside to make you look like a genius. 

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