Going Deep: Why We Should be Paying Attention to Robby Anderson

by Ray Kuhn

The New York Jets are a joke this season. This is true both in the standings and in fantasy circles. For the most part, Matt Forte has been underwhelming, Brandon Marshall has been a bust, Ryan Fitzpatrick has offered little to no value, and the Jets have been unwatchable.

But as the season winds down, that doesn’t mean we should automatically ignore them.

At this point in the season, there are four different categories fantasy owners fall into, and some could find themselves in multiple ones:

1. A first round bye, and looking to set yourself up for Week’s 15 and 16.
2. A first round playoff match-up, aka survival mode.
3. Planning for next season; either in re-draft or dynasty formats.
4. Looking to cash in DFS tournaments.

Regardless of where you find yourself, this is not the time to stop paying attention to all 32 NFL teams. And that brings us back to the Jets.

After Fitzpatrick failed miserably in his attempt to repeat last season’s success, Bryce Petty will be under center for the last quarter of the season. Marshall has gotten to the point where benching him his well warranted, but someone still has to catch passes in New York’s offense.

Last season, it was Marshall and Fitzpatrick who clicked, but this season it seems that Petty to Robby Anderson seems to be the combination of choice. Now unless you are in an extremely deep league or find yourself in a terrible roster predicament, Anderson should not be on your radar to start. But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be someone to evaluate as a sleeper, both for next season and a value option in DFS.

Anderson, who was a rookie free agent out of Temple this season, is talented, but also raw and inconsistent. Last week, Anderson was targeted 12 times, caught just four passes for 61 yards which included a 40 yard touchdown. The blame for lack of efficiency can be placed on both Petty and Anderson.

There is certainly opportunity for Anderson once again this week who has found himself in a starting role and clearly has established chemistry with his quarterback, but the duo is also inexperienced. So far this season, Anderson has 28 receptions for 365 yards, and has been consistent with either three or four catches in six of his last seven games.

This week, the Jets face San Francisco and their 30th ranked defense against fantasy receivers, so there certainly is the potential for Anderson to explode, but there has been nothing out of the Jets’ to suggest that is possible.

In a large field DFS tournament, Anderson could be a difference maker, but his true value will be realized in 2017, and for that he is worth watching.