Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

AFC North

Cincinnati Bengals

It looks like the Cincinnati Bengals’ top goal in the draft was to help Carson Palmer’s fantasy value. In the first round, they took tight end Jermaine Gresham. I can’t think of a good tight end that Palmer has had for an extended period of time. Gresham could finally be that guy for him, and if he has a good tight end to throw to, it could definitely lead to more fantasy football points for you. In the third round, the Bengals drafted wide receiver Jordan Shipley. Right now, Chad Ochocinco is the go-to passing target for Palmer; however, Shipley could play a role in the Bengals offense as a slot receiver. If he plays up to his potential and becomes a threat for Palmer, it will help Ochocinco and Antonio Bryant from a fantasy football perspective.

Baltimore Ravens

By taking two tight ends in the first four rounds, I think it’s pretty clear that the Baltimore Ravens don’t expect Todd Heap to be around for too much longer. Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta could both be vying to be Heap’s replacement in 2010. It’s too early to tell what the story is on Heap just yet, but if he’s at the end of his career, either of these guys would make a nice value to your fantasy football team in the near future. Previous to the tight-end selections, Baltimore drafted defensive end Sergio Kindle in the first round and defensive tackle Terrence Cody in the second round. The Ravens obviously know they need to stick with what works best for them, and that’s a top-notch defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Drafting a center in the first round? No shocker here, as the Pittsburgh Steelers look to return to pounding the ball in 2010, and they’ll need a strong offensive line to do that. This, of course, works to the benefit of Rashard Mendenhall. Third-round wide-receiver pick Emmanuel Sanders won’t start out on the highlight reels; however, he could prosper eventually, given the departure of Santonio Holmes and the aging Hines Ward. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Sanders step in and help spread the field for Mike Wallace. I don’t know if this pick necessarily hurts Ward’s fantasy value, but his age could, and Pittsburgh must be thinking the same thing. Defensive end Jason Worilds has been regarded as a strong enough player to step in right away and become a quick star. The Steelers are known for producing excellent pro bowlers on defense, Worilds may just be the newest one.

Cleveland Browns

They waited long enough, but the Cleveland Browns finally got their quarterback with their fourth pick in Colt McCoy. Given how the previous two Browns’ fared, I wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to take McCoy on my fantasy football team. He still might lose the job to Jake Delhomme in camp. Though it’s worth keeping an eye on. The Browns picked up Montario Hardesty with their third pick. He won’t take Jerome Harrison’s job, but I could see Hardesty getting in the mix as his handcuff. I wouldn’t worry about it affecting Harrison’s fantasy football value that much. When factoring in the players that Cleveland drafted, I’m still not high on picking anybody on this team to be on my fantasy team.

AFC West

San Diego Chargers

For the San Diego Chargers, the lone draft pick that has a chance to make an immediate impact is running back Ryan Matthews. The Chargers may have hit the jackpot with this pick, as Matthews is just the RB they were looking for to take over for LT, and that should make fantasy football owners very happy. Darren Sproles will still be in the mix, but it seems like it’s already Matthews’ backfield, making him an RB2 even at this point. San Diego also loaded up on some defensive talent, including free safety Darrell Stuckey, who may make an immediate impact in the Chargers’ secondary.

Denver Broncos

The big movers and shakers in this year’s draft, the Denver Broncos seemed to be obsessed with finding a way to land Tim Tebow. Well, they got him. There’s too much experience already on Denver’s depth chart for Tebow to have any fantasy football relevance this year – check back in 2011 or 12. Denver also picked up wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Brandon Marshall is out of the picture, leaving the door wide open for Thomas to step in as the Broncos’ long ball receiver, and Eddie Royal maintain his role as the possession receiver. In theory, this pick doesn’t hurt Royal’s fantasy value, despite the fact that it already took such a big hit last year. Denver later drafted two offensive linemen, benefiting Knowshon Moreno, who looks to have a huge 2010 campaign.

Oakland Raiders

For the first time in a long time, the Oakland Raiders were praised for their draft decisions. Committed to defense, the Raiders drafted linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive tackle Lamarr Houston. It appears as though Oakland is going to try to win with defense first, but I wouldn’t be so quick as to draft their defense on my fantasy team just yet. The Raiders added two offensive linemen later in the draft to help create larger holes for Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Adding two rookie linemen doesn’t have me convinced McFadden will turn things around in 2010. 

Kansas City Chiefs

One of the league’s worst defenses a year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to fix things by drafting strong safety Eric Berry in the first round. Berry should step in immediately and get involved in the mix. They also took cornerback Javier Arenas with their third pick, but the Chiefs defense still has a lot of work to do. In the second round, the Chiefs took running back Dexter McCluster. Factoring in the emergence of Jamaal Charles and the addition of Thomas Jones, McCluster won’t be seeing many running opportunities; however, he will be used as a wide receiver in Kansas City. Where McCluster is listed in fantasy league management software could determine his 2010 fantasy football value. If it’s as a wide out it will help his value.

2010 NFL Draft – Fantasy Implications:  NFC EDITION  |  AFC EDITION

————————

Don’t forget to head over to our Fantasy Football Message Board and sign-up for a FREE FORUM account. By doing so you will be able to talk fantasy football all season long.

This article was written by Bruno Boys Jimbo. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)