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Fantasy Football Week 12 Start or Sit: Josh Gordon

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By @RoKnowsDFS

josh gordon cleveland browns wr wide receiver

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Christmas is coming a month early for fantasy owners of the Cleveland Browns‘ All-Pro WR Josh Gordon, as he will be making his long-awaited return to the football field.

Last year, Gordon had one of the best seasons for a wide receiver in NFL history as he caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine TDs in 14 games. His receiving yards total ended up leading the league in that category. He was also the first player in league history to record back-to-back 200-receiving yard games after he put up 237 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers, then 261 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week.

In short, the man they call “Flash” is an elite talent that can be considered as one of the best players on the planet.

Despite being away from the field for 75 percent of the season, Gordon appears ready to hit the ground sprinting against his first opponent, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons only grade positively in one defensive area and that’s their run defense. However, their Pro Football Focus grade of 5.8 in that category is somewhat of a false positive due to Atlanta facing the weak running attacks of the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Additionally, even if the Atlanta run defense has legitimately improved, it will only help Gordon and the Cleveland passing attack against the terrible secondary of the Falcons. With a Pro Football Focus grade of -34.8, the Falcons are ranked 29th in pass coverage effectiveness. They also have a pass rush grade of -10.2, which will further help the Browns’ aerial attack.

Therefore, in regards to starting or sitting Gordon, the answer is an emphatic and unwavering yes.

Fantasy owners that might worry about Brian Hoyer‘s ability to get Gordon the ball early and often need to remember the following fact: Gordon’s 2013 season took place with a combination of Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell under center. Hoyer is a better QB than both of them and is actually one of the more underrated passers in the NFL this season.

This is not a situation that requires over-thinking or worrying about any rust from Gordon. All reports indicate that he’s kept himself in excellent shape and is ready to completely dominate any defender, or defenders, who line up against him.

Gordon should be immediately viewed as a high-end WR1, and it will be a shock if he doesn’t end this week as a top-5 WR. Personally, I believe his season debut will be an epic one, and it will be no surprise if he finishes with at least eight catches for almost 200 receiving yards and two TDs. If he is on your team, you must start him or run the risk of losing your Week 12 matchup.

Roje Smith is a Fantasy Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoKnowsDFS, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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