Week 17 Outlook
Availability
RB Rodney Anderson (failed physical) has been waived by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fantasy Impact
Anderson was a 2019 sixth-round draft choice out of Oklahoma. He was thought to be in the running for the backup job to starter Joe Mixon, but he won’t get that shot after being cut Monday by the Bengals. Trayveon Williams could be the biggest beneficiary in the Cincinnati backfield behind Mixon and Giovani Bernard.
Bengals place RB Rodney Anderson on the PUP list to begin training camp.
Fantasy Impact
Anderson suffered a torn ACL in the preseason in 2019, and it sounds like he’s still recovering. Many people believed the 23-year old could be in line to be Joe Mixon’s true backup this season, but that may have to wait a bit. Giovani Bernard is still in the mix, but he’s more of a pass-catching back than he is a true downhill runner. It might behoove fantasy owners who take Mixon to handcuff him very late in drafts with Trayveon Williams, who could very well be next in line at RB for the Bengals.
Rodney Anderson is hoping to return from the ACL injury that ended his rookie season before it began by the middle of August.
Fantasy Impact
Anderson was an intriguing running back prospect ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, but he was buried on the depth chart before sustaining his injury. Now, if he's able to return to health, he could compete for the backup role behind Joe Mixon. He will likely not enter the season with fantasy value beyond that of a handcuff, but he could find a fantasy-relevant role during the season if there's an injury to Mixon.
Rodney Anderson’s injury was confirmed by Bengals head coach Zac Taylor as a torn ACL. He will likely miss the entire season. Due to injuries, Anderson played only 17 games in four seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners, which was a concern coming into this year’s draft.
Fantasy Impact
With Anderson out of the picture, both Joe Mixon and Giovanni Bernard’s workloads appear to be safe.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Rodney Anderson was forced to leave Thursday's preseason finale game against the Colts with an apparent knee injury.
Fantasy Impact
Anderson was most likely jockeying for Cincinnati's RB3 spot with Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard as the two backs projected to lead the backfield in 2019. It's unclear if this is the same knee Anderson injured during his final season in Oklahoma, but it certainly doesn't bode well for the 2019 sixth round pick. The Bengals will closely monitor Anderson's status as they will be making their final cuts to their 53-man roster soon.
