Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Consisting of 10 members of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Staff, along with guest columnist’s from Fighting Chance Fantasy and The IDP Guru, our first of many Fantasy Football 2010 Mock Draft will be a 16-round affair based on a standard scoring league (Pass TDs - 4 points, All Other TDs - 6 points, 25 Yards Passing - 1 point, 10 Yards Rushing/Receiving - 1 point). Outside of having to field a starting line-up occupied by 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 D, owners were free to compile their rosters any way in which they pleased.

All commentary after each pick is provided by the Bruno Boys staff member who made that pick. The draft started on February 15, 2010 and we will report round-by-round updates as they are available. Make sure to check back throughout the week as we will break down Round 5 and Round 6 of our Fantasy Football 2010 Mock Draft.

FEBRUARY MOCK DRAFT ROUND 4 RESULTS

4.01: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Sidney Rice (Min) — None of the available wide receivers are sure bet WR1 options, so I decided to go with the guy I felt had the most upside. Rice emerged onto the scene with 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns last year, and if Brett Favre returns, those number should be even better. His 2010 success will be contingent on the return of Favre; however, his potential is too good to pass on.

4.02: Bruno Boys Greg - Philip Rivers (SD) — I was going to take Rivers with my last pick, but after seeing Cavigs already had a QB, I decided to grab a wide out first. With Tomlinson released by San Diego, it looks as though all the offense will go through Rivers. He makes precise throws and will put up big numbers. Add to his allure the fact that he only had single digit interceptions in 2009 (9) and has only gotten better each year of his career, and I have a stud at the QB slot. I know my wide receiving core may be weaker, but there likely won’t be a great QB on the board when I pick again.

4.03: Bruno Boys IDP Guru - Steve Smith (Car) —Since this league starts three wide receivers, I think it is important to have at least 2 solid wide receivers on your roster. I think Smith is the best wide receiver left on the board because of his talent and opportunity (128 targets last year). He just needs someone half-way decent throwing him the ball (i.e. NOT Jake Delhomme). If he gets that, I like him for 1,200 yards and 8 TDs.

4.04: Bruno Boys Kyle - Dallas Clark (Ind) — With Cavigs having deftly selected the player I was keying for this spot, Ronnie Brown, I turned my attention to a pass-catcher. There are still desirable wide outs on the board, but none that can offer quite the production of Clark, so despite the fact that I usually don’t take a TE this early, Clark’s ability forces my hand.

4.05: Bruno Boys Cory - Chad Ochocinco (Cin) — I wanted to get a wide receiver in this round, and there were some good options at this point. I ultimately decided on Chad Ochocinco. He may not catch 100 passes again, but he’s got 10-touchdown potential. Plus, the Bengals are going to do what they can in the off-season to upgrade the No. 2 WR position opposite Ochocinco, thus boosting his value by eliminating some double teams.

4.06: Bruno Boys Allie - Antonio Gates (SD) — I reviewed the draft selections of the other Bruno Boys as well as the players left on the board and decided to use my 4th round pick to acquire elite tight end - Antonio Gates. He has all the qualities you want in a tight end - consistent, explosive, and able to make the big play when the game is on the line. In terms of fantasy football results, Gates is pure gold. In 2009, Gates had 79 receptions for a career high 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns. With QB Philip Rivers leading the Chargers offense, I have confidence that Gates will continue his track record of productivity and success for fantasy owners in 2010.

4.07: Bruno Boys Jimbo - Santonio Holmes (Pit) — He was supposed to break out in 2008, but it took one more year for Santonio Holmes to finally have a huge season. The Pittsburgh Steelers became a pass-first offense last year, and while Hines Ward is still a solid wide receiver on the other side of the field, I think Holmes will take an even bigger leap in 2010 to become the clear No. 1 receiver for Pittsburgh.

4.08: Bruno Boys Jacob - Joseph Addai (Ind) — A year ago, the addition of Donald Brown ruined Addai’s value heading into 2009. However, while his yards per carry were down, Addai found pay dirt enough to keep him fantasy worthy in 2010. In the playoffs, he got the majority of the carries and averaged 4.5 yards per and started running like he did in 2007 when he was a stud 1st round RB. I’m not saying he’ll be back to the 15 TDs he put up in ‘07, but I’ll take it if it happens.

4.09: Bruno Boys Hallam - Shonn Greene (NYJ) — There is some risk here with the chance that the Jets bring Thomas Jones back for one more season, but if you watched from about Week 16 through the Jets improbable run to the AFC Championship Game you saw that Greene is not only for real, he’s for real right now. He was fast, he wasn’t afraid of contact, and he was able to find the endzone. I believe he is one of the next wave of great NFL backs.

4.10: Bruno Boys Whooley - Jerome Harrison (Cle) — Breaking my own personal rule of staying away from any Cleveland Brown, a fourth round pick on a running back who tallied 688 rushing yards and 5 TDs in his last three games of 2009 seems worth the risk. Harrison came on big towards the end of last season, and with the Browns showing Jamal Lewis the door already, I’m hoping he can carry that momentum into 2010 and become the team’s main back. An added bonus? With Harrison and MJD, I now have ensured I will compile the shortest backfield in this league.

4.11: Bruno Boys Larry - Anquan Boldin (Ari) — There are some concerns with this pick. Will Anquan Boldin still be an Arizona Cardinal in 2010? If so, who will be the quarterback? If he is finally traded during this off-season as he has requested the past two years, where will he end up playing? Even with these concerns, Boldin remains a talented receiver who has the potential to put up WR1 numbers. In 2010, I look for Boldin to once again post over 1,000 receiving yards, and if he can avoid the injury bug that has plagued him the past two seasons, he should return to near double digit touchdowns. I am thrilled to have him as my WR2 with a late fourth round pick.

4.12: Bruno Boys Matt - Darren Sproles (SD) — I still can’t believe I landed Sproles with the final pick in Round 4. Keep in mind this pick was made AFTER LaDainian Tomlinson’s release was made official. As soon as the news came up on ESPN, Sproles should have been the next player off the board. The guy has proven he has the goods. He plays for Norv Turner, who has proven to be pretty good with RBs. He also plays in a great offense with a ton of talent around him. Look, I know the Chargers will either bring in a veteran (Brian Westbrook, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, or Marshawn Lynch) or use a high draft pick on a RB, but Sproles still enters the season as the proven commodity and entrenched starter at the top of the depth chart.

Round 4 Commentary from Bruno Boys Whooley: Round 4 of most fantasy football drafts often marks the beginning of the debate between whether it’s best to go with a Tier 2 wide receiver or a top-flight tight end. The Bruno Boys’ February Mock Draft is no different in this regard, as we see the first tight ends fly off the board in the forms of Dallas Clark, selected by Bruno Boys Kyle, and Antonio Gates, snagged by Bruno Boys Allie, in this round.

Both the Clark and Gates picks sit well with me. Even with the added depth at the tight end position due to the emergence of players like Vernon Davis and Jermichael Finley, these two are still among the best and most consistent at their position, and both look poised to contribute again in 2010. Obviously, Clark still has Peyton Manning throwing him the ball, which is great news seeing as they connected 100 times in 2009, while Gates, who is coming off his first 1,000+ yard season since 2005, should see an uptick in value as the Chargers’ become even more of a pass first team with LT being shown the door. With that said, one may assume that I fall into the “take a tight end” camp.However, that’s not necessarily true.

Nabbing Clark and Gates is indeed a solid choice, but there is something to say about taking a chance on a Tier 2 wide receiver this round, especially in a start three wide receiver league. No doubt, the wide outs taken here in Round 4 have their question marks. Will Sidney Rice have Brett Favre throwing him the ball, and if not, does he come close to his breakout 2009 season? Will Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers see enough balls thrown his way as the Panthers try to capitalize on their dynamic duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart? Will the Cincinnati Bengals add a receiver on the other side of the field that can take pressure off of Chad Ochocinco? Can Santonio Holmes finally surpass Hines Ward as Big Ben’s go-to-guy in Pittsburgh? How will Anquan Boldin fair without Kurt Warner under center? Those question marks indicate that in all likelihood, some of these wide outs will excel while others flop. Thus, there is a risk associated with taking a Tier 2 WR option here; however, should you hit and land one of those wide outs that produces from this group, you’ll have a solid leg up on your competition.

In the end, it all comes down to preference and whether you think it’s worth taking a risk on a wide out or better to get the consistent production that a Clark or Gates offers, and I guess that’s why ultimately it is a debate. The best advice I can give you out there in Bruno Boys Nation is to analyze it on a case by case basis. For example, out of the Tier 2 options, I’d grab Rice, Smith, and Holmes prior to Clark and Gates, but I’d take the tight ends over the likes of Ochocinco and Boldin.

Past Rounds RECAP:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12 |  13 | 14 |  15 |  16

Have an opinion on how the fourth round played out? If so, let us know!

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