5 Wide Receivers Who Drastically Outperformed Their Teammates in 2017
Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns
He's baaaaaaaaaaack.
For the first time since 2014, we got to watch Josh Gordon play football over the final five weeks. He was playing with major restrictions, operating in an offense tied to a struggling rookie in DeShone Kizer. But it's pretty clear that Gordon helped the Cleveland Browns' offense in a big way.
There were four wide receivers who got at least 40 targets for the Browns; Gordon was the only one with a positive Target NEP. Even when you take sacks out of the equation, Kizer and company lost expected points when targeting Ricardo Louis, Corey Coleman, and Rashard Higgins. Gordon was a different story.
Here's a breakdown of their numbers from this past year. Again, Target NEP per target is the expected points added on a per-target basis this year. The gap in Gordon's favor was massive.
| In 2017 | Targets | Target NEP | Target NEP per Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Louis | 61 | -12.49 | -0.20 |
| Corey Coleman | 56 | -3.49 | -0.06 |
| Rashard Higgins | 50 | -14.60 | -0.29 |
| Josh Gordon | 43 | 7.34 | 0.17 |
When targeting Gordon, Kizer had the same per-throw efficiency as Cam Newton. With the others, he was T.J. Yates. Yowza.
Gordon is an exclusive-rights free agent, which basically ensures he'll be back with the Browns -- barring a trade -- in 2018. The Browns are almost certain to make a change at quarterback prior to the season opener. This puts Gordon in a great spot for next year.
Given the upgrades the Browns made to the offensive line last offseason, there are reasons to believe this offense could be competent under another passer, even if that guy is a rookie. Gordon had 27.2% of the team's targets over the final five games and 43.9% of their deep targets (at least 16 yards downfield). If he's getting that type of usage, his fantasy value could blow up (again). That justifies investment in Gordon this offseason even with the obvious risks that come with doing so.
