Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Can anyone else feel the excitement? Here, we sit in the middle of August awaiting the first full weekend of preseason football. Its only the preseason, and I am ready to do back flips because I get to watch the Detroit Lions, who were 0-16 last season, play a preseason game. That is the joy of the NFL, no matter how bad your favorite team is (and trust me, it doesnt get any worse then watching your team go 0-16), you are always excited for a new NFL season. We all have our favorite teams to root for, not to mention our favorite fantasy football players, which of course are the ones that are on our fantasy team(s) this season.

So as you take a break from studying this years Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets Webazine, its time to take a look at the news around the NFL and study its potential fantasy football impact. This week we will touch on the injuries to Dallas Clark and Braylon Edwards, explore the battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson in Cleveland, discuss the Kansas City Chiefs listing Dwayne Bowe as third string on the depth chart, and visit Nate Burleson’s recovery from ACL surgery.

Full story

Every year there are questions surrounding players as they approach the start of the NFL regular season, and that extends to even the best. Some players are returning from injury, some are dealing with new coaches and others are looking to continue to play at a high level. In this article we’ll take a look at the questions surrounding the top five quarterbacks in our Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets (click to download), and look at the potential answers to these burning questions. The players listed are ranked in the same order as they are in the Bruno Boys Preseason Rankings.

1. Can Drew Brees continue to play at the same level that saw him fall just short of Dan Marino’s all-time passing record last season?

To say Brees had a career year last season would be an understatement. Aside from setting career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, as well as a career low in sacks, Brees was just 15 yards short of breaking Marino’s all-time single-season record. And the best part about this is that Brees is not only capable of replicating those numbers, but he’s got the chance to surpass them. Pretty much the entire offense returns in New Orleans, including receivers Marques Colston and Lance Moore and running backs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. Running back is the weakest position on the Saints offense, meaning that Brees will be asked to lead the team through the air again. Instead of wondering whether Brees has the ability to play as well as last season, what one should really consider about Brees is this: does he have the potential to break 40 touchdowns? It’s a distinct possibility.

Full story

Exactly eight months prior to Christmas day, the football gods bestowed upon San Francisco 49er fans what appeared to be a glorious gift. Sitting with the 10th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Niners and Niner fans watched as Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree (thought to be the best wide receiver by the experts) slipped and landed in their laps. Making the moment all the sweeter was the fact that the selection came at the expense of the Oakland Raiders as Al Davis’ fascination with speed led to the Silver and Black passing on Crabtree, instead going with deep threat, Darius Heyward-Bey. We should have known then that it was too good to be true.

Unless you live in Amish country, you are well aware that the 49ers and Crabtree have yet to come to terms on what the rookie’s contract should be, leading to a “soap-opera esque” hold out. One that has culminated with Crabtree’s camp going on record to state that the wide receiver is willing to sit out the 2009 season in order to re-enter the 2010 NFL Draft should he not get the money he feels he deserves (a stance Crabtree’s camp has since tried to back away from). No doubt things are getting messy in the City by the Bay. In the end, though, it will behoove both parties to get this deal done ASAP because while neither would like to admit it, both sides need the other.

Full story

Thanks to injuries and the high level of talent in the NFL, fantasy football can be a fickle game. One week your starting QB is lighting up the scoreboard, and the next he’s rehabbing in Florida, netting you a whopping 0 points. This is why many championships are won with the waiver wire. There are always players that end up having more or less value than expected due to breakout seasons or injuries. This season, keep an eye on these quarterbacks because each one could end up giving your team some much needed fantasy power down the stretch.
————————

Jeff Garcia (Oakland Raiders) -If JaMarcus Russell doesn’t impress Oakland’s coaches early on, his job will swiftly be handed over to Garcia at the start of the season.  A solid veteran, Garcia would have a great running game behind him and the added speed of Darius Heyward Bay among his receiving corp. He may not belong in the top tier of passers, but he’s a decent option to have if you find yourself in a bind.

Full story

Sure, it’s easy to say that Larry Fitzgerald is a no-brainer first pick wide receiver because of his ability and rapport with Kurt Warner. But is that advice really going to help you win a fantasy football title? Probably not!  In fact, you could say that any of the top-15 fantasy wide receivers have the ability and raport with their quarterback to produce on a regular basis. However, in my opinion there is one key ingredient that makes a receiver so important to a fantasy football owner. That ingredient is… Consistency. 

It’s about which wideouts can provide you a steady amount of points on a weekly basis. When looking into being consistent you will notice that sometimes being consistent in a bad statistical category can translate into something good. For example, Terrell Owens (10 drops) is well-known for dropping his fair share of passes. Braylon Edwards (16 drops), the same.  To round out the top 2008 drop leaders you will find some big names. Dwayne Bowe had 13 drops, Brandon Marshall 12 drops, Calvin Johnson 9 drops and Roddy White had 9 drops.

What do all these wide receivers have in common?

Full story

Anyone who paid attention to the NFL or played fantasy football last season is aware of the solid batch of rookies that came into the league and played a significant role for fantasy owners. Names like Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, and DeSean Jackson were weekly fixtures in 2008. Still, there are more players from the draft class of 2008 who have yet to blossom. Let’s take a look at some guys entering their second seasons who may play an important role for fantasy owners in 2009.

WR Josh Morgan (San Francisco 49ers) - The sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech started impressing in training camp last year, and some thought he would be a factor immediately. It didn’t happen, as he caught just 20 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, but he may very well break out this year. Early reports out of this season’s training camp have been that Morgan is once again opening eyes. The team signed former Tennessee Titan Brandon Jones, still has Isaac Bruce, and drafted Michael Crabtree, but none of those players should be potential roadblocks. Jones, while also reportedly looking good in camp, has had a nondescript four-year career. Bruce will turn 37 during the season, and Crabtree, who has been doing his best to raise the ire of NFL teams and fans with his attitude since the off-season, now has his cousin and “advisor” telling people Crabtree will sit out the season if he doesn’t get the money he wants.

Full story

The 2009 NFL season is finally upon us. All NFL teams have officially reported to training camp and if you have not started preparing for your upcoming fantasy football drafts, you are behind the eight ball. Fortunately for you, all we do here at Bruno Boys Fantasy Football is eat, sleep and breath fantasy football and as we enter the second week of August the focus is fantasy football drafts.

If you are looking for cheat sheets, player rankings, player profiles or team breakdowns, we have that all available to you on our 2009 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet Magazine, which is available as a free PDF download on our homepage. Are staff of fantasy football experts is also adding content to our website daily. Whether it’s opinion or news, sleepers or busts, you will find new content added to brunoboys.net daily to help you prepare for upcoming draft.

Right now it’s time to take a look at news around NFL training camps and study the potential fantasy football impact. This week we will discuss Eli Manning’s new contract, LenDale White’s weight loss, Braylon Edwards reporting to camp and Reggie Bush’s surgically repaired knee.

Full story

It seems every year in preparing for my fantasy football drafts, I run across what I like to call fantasy football lepers. These are guys that come draft day I’m going to avoid at all costs, letting some other schmuck in my league get stuck with the head ache for the season. And, today, Bruno Boys Nation, I want to share five of my fantasy football lepers for 2009 with you. Perhaps in doing so, I can help you avoid some pain.

————————————————————-

WR Dwayne Bowe (Kansas City Chiefs) - Placing Bowe on this list does pain me some. When it comes to fantasy football, one of the main things I want from my guys is consistency, and Bowe indeed had that in 2008. In compiling his 1,022 receiving yards and 7 TDs, Bowe finished with less than 7 fantasy points in just three games out of the sixteen game season. So, why am I turning my back on him in 2009, especially since the Chiefs went out and got a real quarterback in the likes of Matt Cassel to throw him the ball?

Plain and simple, it has to do with the departure of Tony Gonzalez. When you’re a wide receiver, life is always made easier when you have a future Hall of Famer roaming the middle of the field as it keeps secondaries honest, allowing for multiple single coverage match-ups. With Gonzalez gone, defenses are going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Bowe, and its going to be a lot harder to be consistent when your dealing with double teams.

Full story

One thing in the off-season that can kill the potential of a fantasy football player is a contract dispute. And if it happens to be going on before training camp, you could be looking at a no show. Just because the no show has become a common practice among the league, doesn’t take away from the fact that missing it can take a serious toll on the player’s performance going forward. Training camp is a precious time for players. Even if they have been keeping in shape by their own methods, working out with coaches and other teammates is almost always going to be more intense and effective. Team strategies, plays and techniques are learned, practiced and developed. Competitions are held to see who deserves to be on the field and who’ll be watching from the sidelines.

Perhaps most importantly though, training camp is where relationships are formed between teammates and with coaches. Where wide receivers develop a rapport with their quarterbacks.  And where a group of guys becomes a team. Missing this time may not only cause a rift between a player and their team, it can set them back significantly during the regular season. Many players who miss camp spend a lot of the first half catching up instead of producing at an elite level.  This is especially true for rookies, and if you don’t believe the Bruno Boys just ask Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Here are a few players in the middle of contract issues who have yet to show up in camp. If things don’t change soon, you may want to bump them down a notch. 

Full story

Running backs are going to be your most consistent players throughout your fantasy season. That is why it is imperative that you spend much of your draft preparation focusing on them.

If you’re in a PPR league, every reception counts. So, while debating between players with similar rushing statistics, you can make the best pick by asking the following three questions:

1) How many targets did this RB receive in 2008 (or 3 year average if you think 2008 was an aberration)?
2) What kind of offense does this RB play in?
3) What is his competition like? Who is in on 3rd downs?
————————————————————-

Full story