Wide Receiver Josh Reynolds is a Speculative Buy Low Candidate

Buying receivers on the low and drafting running backs with three-down potential are the keys to dynasty success. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Josh Reynolds has been waiting in the wings for three years now and might finally get his chance to shine.

The Rams went from the Super Bowl to cutting and trading pieces to clear space. Brandin Cooks has been rumored to be on the trade block. If that happens, Reynolds will finally step into three wide-receiver sets. From his previous starting stints, Reynolds can play and in a contract year, he could finally be unlocked.

The Rams have plenty of needs now and no first-round pick. With only two picks in the top 100, it is unlikely the Rams spend high draft capital on a wide receiver. Still having Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp on the roster, wide receiver isn’t a glaring need on the team and they likely won’t draft one of consequence. Even if they do, here’s the catch: Reynolds is in the last year of his rookie contract and could always end up in a new situation in 2021.

Making the Case for Reynolds

Reynolds has the profile. He just needs the opportunity. At 6’3″ and 195 pounds, he lacks a little weight, but he still ran an above-average 40 time (4.52), which is solid for his height. Reynolds brought to the NFL an elite agility score (69th percentile), solid burst score (71st percentile), and an elite catch radius (88th percentile). His college production was upper percentile, while doing his work in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Reynolds broke out in the SEC as a sophomore, which is impressive considering his above average level of competition score(41.2) . Other than his weight being a little light, Reynolds checked nearly every box as a college prospect at an above-average level.

Reynolds’s 2018 Sophomore campaign net him eight starts according to NFL.com. If you take the median numbers from his eight starts and extrapolate them over 16 games, Reynolds would have been a top 32 receiver. He would have finished 48-688-10 which are solid numbers for a #3 wide receiver and will certainly help in fantasy. He may be a #3 but being the starting #3 in Sean McVay’s offense is a valuable position. In 2019 Reynolds didn’t get as much of a chance only officially starting two games. He was top 10 in the NFL in yards after catch per reception, which showed that he has the ability to make things happen after the catch.

 With Cooper Kupp playing almost 65% of his snaps from the slot in 2019, it would give Reynolds the chance to claim a starting role on the outside replacing Cooks. For a team that ran 70% of snaps in 11 personnel (2nd in the NFL), there will be plenty of snaps for Reynolds to seize. With Todd Gurley gone, it opens up more targets in the passing game as well. This could also increase the amount of pass attempts in the Rams offense not having an established, trusted back yet. 

Why to Make the Deal

At this point in his career, nobody truly knows Reynolds’s ceiling as a player. He’s had big games when called upon so far but has had little starts in his career. He has upper percentile athleticism, college production, and has produced in the NFL when he starts. If Reynolds can vault himself into three wide receiver sets in 2020, he could finally breakout.

Even if things go wrong in 2020, Reynolds is still worth a trade because this is his contract year. He could explode in his contract season with opportunity or could possibly leave LA for a bigger role somewhere else in 2020. There are multiple scenarios where Josh Reynolds is a fantasy asset, he just needs the opportunity. It could be beneficial to invest in the unknown ceiling of Reynolds because his profile and stats as a starter show a potential fantasy asset.