Who is Robby Anderson?

Jaron Foster Posted On January 13, 2017

As a dynasty owner with (too) many shares of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, I spent a lot of time scouring the waiver wire for options at wide receiver throughout the 2016 season. Admittedly, I dismissed options lower on the depth chart of their own team, largely due to the assumption that if poor quarterback play was hurting a star in Marshall then inexperienced wide receivers stood no chance of fantasy relevance. It took until early December for me to decide Robby Anderson was worth an add, and clearly I was not alone as he was readily available throughout my leagues. After providing mixed results in the fantasy playoffs, and the uncertain future of the Jets’ offense as a whole, it is somewhat self-serving that I selected Anderson as my first feature in this series for 2017.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

Anderson chose Temple over offers from Indiana and Marshall, then proceeded to have a rollercoaster collegiate career. Entering Temple in 2011 as a wide receiver and defensive back, after redshirting as a freshman he was limited to six games on special teams in 2012 and didn’t accumulate any individual statistics. Following a stint away from the team due to personal issues, he finally emerged in 2013 as a wide receiver and caught 44 passes for 791 yards (18 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns in only ten games. He also contributed as an effective return specialist.

Just as things seemed to be going in the right direction, Anderson was ruled ineligible to play for the 2014 season because of academic issues. He worked hard to return to Temple, and notably the football field, successfully in time for the 2015 season. He went on to have a prolific final season, catching 70 passes for 939 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to being named to multiple All-Conference teams and receiving an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Game. Despite only playing two seasons in the offense, Anderson sits second in Temple history in single-season receptions and receiving yards.

With his stock on the rise, Anderson continued to open eyes of scouts at Temple’s Pro Day. With scouts on hand to see his talents as a wide receiver, return specialist and defensive back, Anderson impressed with a 4.34-second 40-yard-dash (with some reports putting the number at 4.28), which would have been second only to Will Fuller’s 4.32-second showing at the NFL Combine. He also was reported to have a 36.5” vertical jump and 128-inch broad jump, both of which would have tied him with metrics darling Keyarris Garrett in the top ten at the wide receiver position.

As he showed in his Pro Day, Anderson has good (albeit small) hands and surprising maturity for route-running considering his relative inexperience as a wide receiver. Given the poor quarterback play he had to work with in college, he has demonstrated many times the ability to make highlight-reel catches. Although he has a very thin frame (6’3” and up to 190 pounds), he plays aggressively against defenders in the middle of the field as well as on the outside. His coaches have also been vocal about his ability to catch on to the nuances of the game quickly, and obviously his speed helps negate other flaws in his game.

However, the combination of Anderson’s build and physicality brings pause to his ability to translate his success to the NFL level, especially when he tries to play tougher than he is. His route running is still raw and limited, and he has had problems with drops due to a lack of focus. The latter was likely a concern for many NFL teams as it exacerbates his reputation to have accountability issues and a challenging player to deal with on- and off-the-field. If he is to have a successful NFL career, scouting reports unanimously asserted that Anderson will need to improve his consistency and add muscle to his frame.

The buzz generated from a stellar senior season and Pro Day was not enough to overcome the concerns over Anderson, and despite receiving projections as early as the fourth round he went undrafted. The following week, he signed with the Jets to join a crowded wide receiver depth chart (although he worked out as a defensive back at his Pro Day and some teams wanted to develop him on defense).

With the Jets, Anderson faced an uphill battle for the final wide receiver spot on the roster. Veterans and rookies, including Kenbrell Thompkins, Charone Peake and Jeremy Ross, also entered training camp looking to make the team. No problem for Anderson, as his NFL-leading 264 receiving yards on 13 receptions and three touchdowns (as well as his position versatility) helped him secure the job behind Brandon, Decker, Quincy Enunwa and Jalin Marshall.

After being skeptical early on, Marshall in particular has been a vocal advocate for Anderson and has been integral in the rookie’s success this season. As the losing season dragged on, led by poor quarterback play, Anderson began to find the field more frequently. Despite (or because of) the switch to unproven quarterback Bryce Petty, Anderson’s production continued to increase to the point that he was in the flex play discussion for many fantasy playoff teams. Of course, it is a rare occurrence that an undrafted free agent rookie makes any fantasy impact, much less at the most critical time of the season. Though he disappeared altogether in week 16, Anderson still finished the season with 42 receptions, 587 yards and two touchdowns.

Given the uncertainty at quarterback, as well as the age of Marshall and Matt Forte, there are more questions than answers regarding the future outlook of the Jets’ offense. Marshall and Enunwa are signed through the 2017 season, while Anderson joins Decker, Smith and (Jalin) Marshall as free agents following the 2018 season. Peake’s rookie contract is good through 2019. Anderson certainly made a strong case for a prominent role in 2017, regardless of the quarterback or status of his veteran teammates.

If Anderson has truly put any off-field issues behind him, it’s safe to ignore his “UDFA” label and consider the production sustainable. From November to December, his ADP jumped from 211th overall (mid-18th round of a dynasty startup) to 169th (early 15th round), though with all the uncertainty around his team there will be wide-ranging valuations from his dynasty owners. Even if his price has risen some over the last month, he’s one of the better wait-and-see dynasty stashes to target.

[/am4show]

Author
Recent Posts

Jaron Foster

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

A data analyst by profession, Jaron has been writing for DLF since 2012. Native New Englanders, Jaron and his wife are introducing their son (2010) and daughter (2014) to the Patriots. You can regularly find him on Twitter and in the DLF Forum at odd hours.