2019 Fantasy Football Outlook: WR Robby Anderson

With the 2019 NFL season and fantasy football fast approaching, here’s our 2019 Fantasy Football Outlook for New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson.

After playing his collegiate ball at Temple University, now 26-year-old wide receiver Robby Anderson went undrafted, but over the last few years, he’s carved out a role for himself as one of the New York Jets’ most dangerous playmakers.

In his rookie year in 2016, Anderson totaled 42 receptions for 587 yards and 16 touchdowns in eight starts.  With the Jets then parting ways with veterans Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker after the season, Anderson was then forced to take on a bigger role in 2017 and he produced a bit of a breakout season, bringing in 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns.

This past season, many in the Jets organization were hoping that Anderson would build on a successful 2017 and while he had his moments, his production actually dipped a bit. Overall, he brought it only 50 receptions for 752 yards and six touchdowns, though there are reasons for this.

First and foremost, last season represented the rookie season of quarterback Sam Darnold. Obviously, when a new quarterback enters the picture, there will likely also be an adjustment period for a wide receiver and a period in which certain chemistry must be built between him and his quarterback.

More notably, however, was the presence of offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, who simply did not seem suited for the role. It seemed as if his receivers were often frustrated with the way they were used throughout the season and Anderson especially had his reasons to be frustrated.

Throughout the season, Anderson was used primarily to run go routes, which makes sense given his electrifying speed, but it also hindered his production as he wasn’t given the opportunity to mix things up.

When looking ahead to 2019, however, it seems as if Anderson could once again be gearing up for a big season. Towards the tail end of last season, Anderson and Darnold seemed to be gaining chemistry, as evidenced by Anderson’s 19 receptions for 260 yards and two touchdowns over the final three weeks of the season.

As the two continue to work together throughout the offseason and into 2019, that chemistry should only continue to build, which, ultimately, should benefit Anderson.

Also, the addition of new head coach Adam Gase should be a massive upgrade over Bates. Gase, known as an offensive guru, is expected to bring a far more unique and creative offense to the Jets. It’s expected that he’ll use Anderson in a more versatile way and even Anderson himself has said that he believes Gase will “bring greatness” out of him.

Ultimately, Anderson has spoken about his aspirations of being a top-tier NFL wide receiver. In regards to fantasy football in 2019, the 26-year-old may not be there just yet, though it is indeed reasonable to believe that a productive season is on the horizon for him. With that being said, fantasy owners may want to keep Anderson in mind as an option to fill a secondary receiver spot or perhaps fill in at the FLEX position.