Desperate for help at wide receiver, the Patriots have acquired Josh Gordon from the Browns. Gordon's off-field issues are well documented, but there's little doubt that he is a dominant presence when on the field.
Last season, Gordon was limited to five games but was targeted a whopping 43 times. Poor quarterback play (26 percent of balls thrown his way were off target) limited him to 18 catches, but Gordon still ranked 21st in fantasy points among wide receivers during that span. Gordon played 66 snaps for Cleveland in Week 1 earlier this month and caught a 17-yard touchdown on his only catch.
Of course, Gordon's best production came back in 2013 when he caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and 9 touchdowns in 14 games. Though that was a long time ago, Gordon is still in his prime at 27 and is one of the most naturally gifted players in the league.
Joining New England supplies Gordon with an opportunity to be an every-down and heavily targeted option in an elite offense.
Currently, Chris Hogan (121 snaps during Weeks 1-2), Phillip Dorsett (110) and Cordarrelle Patterson (43) are working as the team's top wide receivers, with 32-year-old Julian Edelman due back from suspension in Week 5. The lack of skill at wide receiver hasn't gone unnoticed by Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, as the team currently sits dead last in three-plus wide receiver sets when passing (38 percent). They rank first in two-plus running back sets (36 percent) and sixth in two-plus tight end sets (31 percent). Tom Brady is also averaging 6.9 yards per attempt -- his worst mark since 2006.
Plugging in Gordon opposite Hogan with Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and James White as the short and intermediate area targets would provide Brady with a rejuvenated and much-improved arsenal for the final three-quarters of the regular season (not to mention the inevitable playoff trip).
Gordon is about as risky a fantasy investment as there is. In fact, this could easily go horribly wrong and he could end up released within a few weeks.
However, the upside that comes from a potential Brady-to-Gordon connection cannot be ignored. If Gordon slots in as a near every-down receiver, he has WR1 upside. It may take a few weeks for him to lock down a significant role, especially since he's apparently battling a hamstring injury, so he should be on benches (though certainly 100 percent rostered), until he makes his debut as a Patriots' starter.
Gordon's acquisition, coupled with Edelman's return, will be bad news for the snap and target shares of Hogan (will have a hard time managing flex production) and Dorsett (will be droppable). Edelman and Gronkowski figure to remain in the top three on the team in target share, which would allow WR2/3 and TE1 production, respectively. White can also expect a downtick from his current 22 percent target share to something closer to the 13 percent he averaged from 2015-17.
Brady is already a top-end QB1, so adding Gordon will only help solidify that standing.
Gordon is a boom/bust fantasy asset, but his upside is massive. Make sure he's rostered in your league and monitor his progress toward an every-down gig in upcoming weeks.
Click here for rest-of-season Patriots offensive projections.