Josh Gordon. My fantasy opinions have been well documented all summer and into September: He was a player to avoid in drafts, a player to bench in lineups, and a player to sell high (or whatever you could reasonably get for him). An extraordinary talent, he's also an extraordinary individual who merits admiration for battling, losing, battling again, losing again, and never giving up. Addiction is walking with the devil in a shit-storm. It's a zero-sum game, where zero often wins. I don't pretend to know how hard Gordon fought for another chance at greatness. But his perseverance is greatness enough.
This certainly wasn't a surprise to early subscribers of my preseason rankings, who read this from me back on July 25: "My theory (unprovable, of course) is that Gordon did slip, and that like me and probably all of you and probably most of the world, the Browns and the NFL are rooting for Gordon to get through this. He's a great talent, and he's worked his ass off to return to this stage. So I believe Gordon's desire to keep battling his addiction is what's keeping this a non-story -- that the team and the league understand if they 'out' Gordon, they're isolating a guy who needs all the support he can get."
Reports last night suggest Gordon had slipped, though we don't know when. There are also reports that he might be traded. And because this is a fantasy blog, not a Sunday sermon, my take is this: Drop him from your team. Doesn't matter if it's re-draft or dynasty. We can all hope he rises again. But this is likely to get worse before it gets better. Refocus on the guys who can help you win you games (Antonio Callaway probably, Rashard Higgins possibly) and on guys who can help you win the title (like a top-10 RB handcuff).
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Turning now to the DFS 50/50 Lineup of the Week. A lot of late changes. Let's hope they work out.
QB Philip Rivers ($7,400) -- I was set on the cheaper Case Keenum, and then opted for a player I believe will throw more today. Buffalo will play better than last week; that said, Rivers should be good for top-14 production. Simply put, I love his floor, which is an important factor in 50/50.
RB Alvin Kamara ($9,000) -- What else is new.
RB James Conner ($7,000) -- $2,000 pricier than last week, and in a more favorable matchup. While I can't conceive of Conner coming close to duplicating last week's breakout, his volume and TD potential are off the charts.
WR Antonio Brown ($8,900) -- My QB retooling was, in part to free up cap space to land Brown. Although this is a bit of a hedge with Conner roster, clearly both guys can thrive in the same game. And a major Brown outburst (10/140/2) would compensate for any Conner letdown.
WR Quincy Enunwa ($5,000) -- While I hate chasing points, Enunwa is not an out-of-nowhere fluke. His Week 1 performance can be replicated again and again. He's a WR3+ at a near-basement price.
WR Dante Pettis ($4,500) – With Marquise Goodwin sidelined, Pettis is this week's DFS version of Week 1's Keelan Cole, except with more upside. Grabbing Rivers meant I could afford Mike Williams instead. Hope that was the right call.
TE Jonnu Smith ($4,200) – Why not George Kittle? Too expensive, though you gotta believe Kittle is a must-start this week. As for Smith, he has low-end TE1 potential as arguably the league's most talented backup tight end. With Delanie Walker out for the year, this could be Smith's NFL breakout -- or it could be a 5/40 day. I'll take 5/40 for $4,200.
FLEX Todd Gurley ($8,900) – I could free up funds by going with T.J. Yeldon or Tevin Coleman. But no other RB (aside from the two listed above) share Gurley's Week 2 ceiling.
DST Rams ($4,800) – Once again, I'm recommending the most expensive DST of the week. Already warned about David Johnson. This game could get ugly quick.
Good luck, everybody.
This certainly wasn't a surprise to early subscribers of my preseason rankings, who read this from me back on July 25: "My theory (unprovable, of course) is that Gordon did slip, and that like me and probably all of you and probably most of the world, the Browns and the NFL are rooting for Gordon to get through this. He's a great talent, and he's worked his ass off to return to this stage. So I believe Gordon's desire to keep battling his addiction is what's keeping this a non-story -- that the team and the league understand if they 'out' Gordon, they're isolating a guy who needs all the support he can get."
Reports last night suggest Gordon had slipped, though we don't know when. There are also reports that he might be traded. And because this is a fantasy blog, not a Sunday sermon, my take is this: Drop him from your team. Doesn't matter if it's re-draft or dynasty. We can all hope he rises again. But this is likely to get worse before it gets better. Refocus on the guys who can help you win you games (Antonio Callaway probably, Rashard Higgins possibly) and on guys who can help you win the title (like a top-10 RB handcuff).
--
Turning now to the DFS 50/50 Lineup of the Week. A lot of late changes. Let's hope they work out.
QB Philip Rivers ($7,400) -- I was set on the cheaper Case Keenum, and then opted for a player I believe will throw more today. Buffalo will play better than last week; that said, Rivers should be good for top-14 production. Simply put, I love his floor, which is an important factor in 50/50.
RB Alvin Kamara ($9,000) -- What else is new.
RB James Conner ($7,000) -- $2,000 pricier than last week, and in a more favorable matchup. While I can't conceive of Conner coming close to duplicating last week's breakout, his volume and TD potential are off the charts.
WR Antonio Brown ($8,900) -- My QB retooling was, in part to free up cap space to land Brown. Although this is a bit of a hedge with Conner roster, clearly both guys can thrive in the same game. And a major Brown outburst (10/140/2) would compensate for any Conner letdown.
WR Quincy Enunwa ($5,000) -- While I hate chasing points, Enunwa is not an out-of-nowhere fluke. His Week 1 performance can be replicated again and again. He's a WR3+ at a near-basement price.
WR Dante Pettis ($4,500) – With Marquise Goodwin sidelined, Pettis is this week's DFS version of Week 1's Keelan Cole, except with more upside. Grabbing Rivers meant I could afford Mike Williams instead. Hope that was the right call.
TE Jonnu Smith ($4,200) – Why not George Kittle? Too expensive, though you gotta believe Kittle is a must-start this week. As for Smith, he has low-end TE1 potential as arguably the league's most talented backup tight end. With Delanie Walker out for the year, this could be Smith's NFL breakout -- or it could be a 5/40 day. I'll take 5/40 for $4,200.
FLEX Todd Gurley ($8,900) – I could free up funds by going with T.J. Yeldon or Tevin Coleman. But no other RB (aside from the two listed above) share Gurley's Week 2 ceiling.
DST Rams ($4,800) – Once again, I'm recommending the most expensive DST of the week. Already warned about David Johnson. This game could get ugly quick.
Good luck, everybody.