Robbie Anderson's Updated Cardinals Fantasy Value After Trade from Panthers
October 17, 2022
Robbie Anderson argued his way to the desert.
The Carolina Panthers traded the veteran wideout to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, a day after he was kicked off the sidelines in the second half by head coach Steve Wilks for arguing with the coaching staff during a 24-10 loss against the Los Angeles Rams.
The question now for fantasy players is whether Anderson will have added value in a change of scenery.
Much of that is going to depend on the status of Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who suffered a serious foot injury that likely was the impetus for the Cardinals making a trade to bolster the position:
Ian Rapoport @RapSheetSome good news for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AZCardinals?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AZCardinals</a> WR Hollywood Brown: Following the MRI, his foot isn’t as bad as was initially thought. It’s a small, non-surgical fracture, source said. Recovery time is about 6 weeks. He’s getting a second opinion from Dr. Robert Anderson before moving forward.
Losing Brown for any duration is a huge blow for the Cardinals offense, though it will naturally open up targets for other options like Anderson.
But with DeAndre Hopkins set to return from suspension in Week 7, the Cardinals won't exactly be thin at wide receiver:
Nathan Jahnke @PFF_NateJahnkeI don't think the Cardinals make this trade had it not been for the Marquise Brown injury.<br><br>DeAndre Hopkins as one outside receiver<br>Rondale Moore in the slot, or potentially out wide in base<br>Robbie Anderson/A.J. Green as the other outside receiver in 3 receiver sets/maybe base
That's the real unknown for fantasy players. Murray already has a rapport with Hopkins, Rondale Moore and A.J. Green. Anderson, meanwhile, will be coming into a new system and fighting for targets.
And it's not as though he's been tearing it up in the past two years.
Last year, Anderson caught just 53 passes for 519 yards and five scores in 17 contests. This season, he's only managed 13 catches for 206 yards and one touchdown in six games. Yes, playing with Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield will hurt a wideout's production, but Anderson was never a star in the first place, with just one season exceeding 1,000 receiving yards in his career.
The 29-year-old will give the Cardinals another deep threat. And there are going to be targets to go around while Brown recovers, making Anderson a player worth monitoring.
But at the moment, you should be treating him like an intriguing WR4 at best. Until there's more clarity over how the Cardinals plan on using him and whether we see if Murray and Anderson can form any kind of chemistry, he's far too risky to put in starting lineups.
He is worth adding this week, however, and stashing on the bench with the hope he proves to be playable down the road.