Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson is coming off an incredibly inefficient season that saw his fantasy football value completely crater. With a quarterback upgrade and positive regression likely, what can fantasy managers expect from Anderson in the 2022 season, and is he a good value at his current ADP in fantasy drafts?
Robbie Anderson’s fantasy outlook for 2022
Anderson has put together a very nice career for a former UDFA. The best season of his career came in 2020, when he averaged 14 PPR fantasy points per game. Anderson set career highs in catches (95) and yards (1,096) that season. Naturally, fantasy managers expected him to be similarly effective in 2021. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
In 2021, Anderson completely flopped. His target share cratered from 26.3% to 19.3%, but that wasn’t the biggest issue. Anderson caught just 48.3% of his targets. Poor quarterback play certainly didn’t help, but it doesn’t fully explain why Anderson was so inefficient.
How the Panthers’ depth chart impacts Robbie Anderson’s fantasy projection for the season
There are a couple of reasons to buy into an Anderson bounce back in 2022. First and foremost, he’s just bound to be better because he can’t possibly be worse. Anderson averaged a career-low 8.1 ppg last season.
Just as important, though, is the improved quarterback play Anderson can expect this season. Baker Mayfield is far from the league’s best quarterback. However, he can’t possibly be worse than Sam Darnold.
Mayfield supported two top-36 wide receivers in 2019 with the Browns. He struggled last year, but he’s already proven capable of supporting two fantasy-relevant wide receivers. This gives Anderson hope for a rebound campaign.
We know DJ Moore is locked in as the Panthers’ WR1, but Anderson should maintain that WR2 role. There’s just very little behind him: Brandon Zylstra, Rashard Higgins, and Terrace Marshall.
Anderson will not return to the 14-ppg level he was at in 2020. Yet, I can say with supreme confidence he will be better than he was last season. Even a return to 10 ppg would make him someone worth drafting. Consider Anderson a WR4 with a little bit of upside entering the 2022 campaign.
Anderson’s ADP for 2022
Anderson is being drafted just inside the top 72 wide receivers. That’s about the threshold to make it onto a roster in standard-sized 12-team leagues. We are a bit higher on him, ranking him as our consensus WR57.
Unless Anderson’s ADP shoots up in the immediate future, he is someone I’m definitely targeting late in fantasy drafts. It’s rare to find a starting NFL WR in two-receiver sets with legitimate WR3 upside. Take a shot on Anderson this season.
