If you’re starting Robby Anderson in fantasy football this week, you’re hoping he gives you something — anything — to help you muster a W with six teams on bye and presumably not a lot of great players on waivers. What might you expect today if he’s in your starting lineup? As always with Anderson, it could go one of two ways.
What can we expect from Robby Anderson?
The challenge with Anderson is that he’s getting targets, but not production. That’s a bad combination on teams where the player might get overtaken by a younger, high-upside guy. In this case, Terrace Marshall Jr. poses that risk. Marshall secured 10 catches in his first three NFL games. In his three games since, however, he has only 4 catches for 25 yards.
And as of this morning, Marshall has been declared inactive. Rodney Smith could see some action. Ian Thomas and Tommy Tremble could get a few targets each. But Anderson remains the No. 2 receiver for Carolina, at least for now.
That’s what you want out of a flier, especially one facing a bottom-five pass defense like the Giants. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging a 109.4 QB rating against New York — the fifth-highest mark in the NFL. Carolina’s defense should be good enough to contain the Giants today, leading to plenty of possessions for Anderson and his teammates.
Also, with rumors swirling over whether Deshaun Watson will be traded, the spotlight has fallen on Sam Darnold. He looked dominant to start the season. Three losses later, some are questioning whether he can lead this team to the playoffs or even a winning record.
Should you start Anderson in Week 7?
Today marks a perfect storm for rebounding. This can be a statement game for a struggling Darnold. Similarly, I would be shocked if Anderson didn’t have his best performance of the year. He’s on pace for 538 yards and 5 touchdowns. It’s hard to conceive of Carolina’s No. 2 receiver playing this poorly all season.
I would start Anderson as a WR3/4 with pop. In other words, if you have a safe WR3, it makes sense to go with that player. If you don’t, set Anderson for a decent WR4 floor and WR2 upside.
