Player Outlook
Stephen Anderson will compete for a role with the Patriots this season, and he could see extended work with Rob Gronkowski (retired) and Dwayne Allen (Miami) gone. The new tight end group for New England will feature Benjamin Watson, Matt LaCosse and Anderson competing for targets, and Anderson could be a surprise Fantasy option if given an increased role in training camp. Most likely, Anderson won't be Fantasy relevant this year and isn't worth drafting in most formats.
Player News
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The Patriots promoted Anderson to the 53-man roster Tuesday. Anderson joined New England's practice squad after being waived by the Texans during final roster cuts. With tight end Jacob Hollister (hamstring) on injured reserve, Anderson will provide depth behind Rob Gronkowski.
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Anderson has joined the Patriots' practice squad, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports. Anderson, who was let go by the Texans last Friday, joins the Patriots as the team's season opener against his former team approaches. Aside from potentially offering insight into some of Houston's tendencies on offense, the 25-year-old will bolster the Patriots' tight end depth behind Rob Gronkowski. Anderson logged 25 catches for 342 yards and a TD in 15 games last year.
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Anderson was waived by the Texans on Friday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Anderson, despite setting career highs in catches (25), yards (342) and snaps (441) with the Texans in 2017, was unable to secure a spot on the Texans' 53-man roster. Houston drafted a pair of tight ends in the 2018 NFL Draft -- Jordan Akins (third round) and Jordan Thomas (sixth round) -- and the team seems confident enough in its rookies to back up starter Ryan Griffin. Anderson will become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers.
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Anderson will be challenged to be the top backup to Ryan Griffin at tight end, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Texans drafted a pair tight ends -- Jordan Akins in the third round and Jordan Thomas in the sixth -- so the team is certainly looking closely at the position. Houston had good production out of their tight ends in 2016, but injuries limited their impact in 2017. Anderson had a run as the starter late in the season but saw his snaps diminish each week. Blocking has been a weakness for him, and if Anderson can't protect Deshaun Watson, his spot as the backup is susceptible to a challenge by either rookie.
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Anderson finished the 2017 season with career highs in catches (25), targets (52), yards (342) and snaps (441). Concussion issues for Ryan Griffin and C.J. Fiedorowicz led to Anderson being the lone healthy tight end over the final five games of the season. That jacked up his offensive snaps, but he was unable to make an impact with the opportunity. Some of that had to do with inferior quarterback play, but his snap count decreased in each successive game, going from a season high of 68 in Week 13 to bottoming out at 22 in Week 17. His strength is receiving, so with sketchy quarterback play, Anderson was not in a position to succeed, and his talents as a blocker aren't up to snuff. The second-year tight end is expected to be back with the team in 2018. However, the statuses of Griffin and Fiedorowicz -- each have had multiple concussions -- are uncertain. If the Texans move on from the injured duo, it's likely they'll look for a starting tight end in free agency, keeping Anderson in a backup role.
Recent Tweets
Completed Games
| WK | OPP | TAR | RECPT | REYD | REAVG | RETD | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *1 | HOU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *2 | @JAC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *3 | @DET | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *4 | MIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *5 | IND | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *6 | KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *7 | @CHI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *8 | @BUF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *9 | GB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *10 | @TEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| *12 | @NYJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *13 | MIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *14 | @MIA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *15 | @PIT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *16 | BUF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *17 | NYJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PROJECTION | 28 | 16 | 203 | 12.69 | 1 | 26 | |
| * indicates player did not play that week | |||||||
Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK | OPP FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/09 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 21 | 7.75 |
| 2 | 09/15 | @Miami Dolphins | 26 | 8.38 |
| 3 | 09/22 | New York Jets | 6 | 4.88 |
| 4 | 09/29 | @Buffalo Bills | 2 | 4.50 |
| 5 | 10/06 | @Washington Redskins | 9 | 5.50 |
| 6 | 10/11 | New York Giants | 19 | 7.38 |
| 7 | 10/22 | @New York Jets | 6 | 4.88 |
| 8 | 10/27 | Cleveland Browns | 27 | 8.50 |
| 9 | 11/04 | @Baltimore Ravens | 16 | 6.76 |
| 10 | BYE | - | - | - |
| 11 | 11/17 | @Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 4.67 |
| 12 | 11/24 | Dallas Cowboys | 20 | 7.44 |
| 13 | 12/02 | @Houston Texans | 30 | 9.41 |
| 14 | 12/08 | Kansas City Chiefs | 31 | 9.56 |
| 15 | 12/15 | @Cincinnati Bengals | 32 | 9.63 |
| 16 | 12/22 | Buffalo Bills | 2 | 4.50 |
| 17 | 12/29 | Miami Dolphins | 26 | 8.38 |
Team Trends
Red Zone Trends
Career Stats
| Season | Tar | Recpt | ReYd | ReTD | ReFD | ReAvg | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 55 | 25 | 342 | 1 | 17 | 13.68 | 40 |
| 2016 | 16 | 11 | 93 | 1 | 6 | 8.45 | 15 |
| 3 Year Avg | 24 | 12 | 145 | 1 | 8 | 12.08 | 20 |
| Career | 70 | 36 | 435 | 2 | 23 | 12.08 |