Josh Gordon's Fantasy Outlook After Season Debut vs. Chargers

Wide receiver Josh Gordon is back, and there is now a reason to have a member of the Cleveland Browns on a fantasy football team.

While Gordon couldn't lead his team to a win in Sunday's 19-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center, he did finish with four catches for 85 yards. He also found seams in the middle of the Chargers defense to turn heads:

Sunday marked Gordon's first game since the 2014 season because of what Clay Skipper of GQ described in a profile as "struggles with substance abuse."

There were clear football questions for a receiver who hasn't seen game action in so long, but he answered them Sunday with his performance. Doug Farrar of Bleacher Report pointed out Gordon had little trouble with one of the better defensive backs in the league despite being out for so long:

While it wasn't the explosive showing fantasy football players were likely looking for, the fact Gordon had a team-high 11 targets is encouraging. Considering the six targets for tight end David Njoku and four targets for running back Duke Johnson were the second- and third-highest totals for the Browns, there is little doubt Gordon is the primary target for wide receivers.

There is also no doubting the talent of a playmaker who tallied 1,646 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches in 2013, as Michael Lombardi of The Ringer echoed:

That's not to say there aren't any fantasy concerns with starting Gordon.

The winless Browns aren't exactly a team that is going to light up the scoreboard, meaning Gordon won't have as many scoring opportunities as other top-notch receivers. He also had only four catches on 11 targets, suggesting quarterback play could be an issue as DeShone Kizer finds his NFL footing.

Still, the potential outweighs the worries, especially since the Browns will almost always be in comeback mode and forced to throw.

Gordon still needs to establish more of a track record before fantasy players expect 2013 numbers, but he is worth starting in the stretch run following Sunday's outing.