Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Last Week we broke down seven players that should have the biggest impact in fantasy football as a rookie in 2010. While those seven players (All RB’s & WR’s) are the guys who are most likely to succeed, and we have stated in the past that not many rookies shine in their first year, you still need to be aware of what other young players may be able to help your fantasy football team from the beginning. With that in mind, we bring you the 2nd Tier, guys who may not be the best rookies but players who can certainly help fill out your bench.

1. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech: It was tough excluding Dwyer among the first tier considering his incredible size and speed at the running back position; however, the rookie running back has too many concerns entering the NFL. The biggest concern with Dwyer is his inability to pick up blocks. Without that, he may have trouble seeing the field to start the year and won’t be utilized much as a 3rd down back unless he learns how to pick up a blitz. He put up good numbers in college in 2009, with 1,395 yards and 14 touchdowns. His intangibles are tough to match though and his poor blocking helps him stick in second round to a team who may need his skill set on the field right away. Teams like the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Cleveland Browns could all show interest in Dwyer’s services.

2. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma: You may wonder why Gresham didn’t make the first tier considering how much of a receiving threat he was in college when healthy. You have to remember though that the tight end position has very little success in fantasy football land in year number one. While Gresham projects to make more of an impact than last year’s first tight end taken, Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State (and Detroit Lions), the numbers Gresham puts up in his rookie season will likely match Pettigrew. Also, keep in mind that Gresham is coming off a torn ACL that did not allow him to accumulate any stats in 2009. He will be drafted in the first round though despite that and in our 2010 NFL Mock Draft we have Gresham heading to the Baltimore Ravens. Other interested teams include the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots. 

3. Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas: Briscoe had a solid year in 2009, where he went for 1,437 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He has the ideal height needed to make big plays and has a lot of speed. Briscoe reminds us a lot of Mike Wallace of Ole Miss (and the Pittsburgh Steelers) with more height. He can make big plays and once he develops a better understanding of how to run routes over the middle of the field, Briscoe could be someone who has a solid rookie season. Briscoe could be drafted anywhere between the Round 2 and Round 3 round, with the likes of the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Cincinnati Bengals all taking a look. 

4. Dexter McCluster, RB, Mississippi: What will get McCluster on the field very quickly in the NFL is his speed. Although he only ran a 4.58 in the 40 yard dash, he is one of those guys that has excellent games speed and it shows in how quick he can get in and out of holes. This past season McCluster ran for 1,169 yards and eight touchdowns. His biggest concern is his route running ability, which will limit his on field presence during 3rd down situations. With his small stature, McCluster may be limited early on in his career but he is too skilled of a player to keep off the field completely. McCluster will likely be drafted in the bottom of Round 2 to someone like the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, or Seattle Seahawks. 

5. Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee: Out of all the backs in this draft, Hardesty has the best chance to score the most touchdowns in the NFL in 2010. He is a downhill runner that never goes down on first contact. Plus, Hardesty rarely fumbles the football, which is key in the red zone. Hardesty shined this past season at Tennessee, where he ran for 1,345 yards and 13 touchdowns. There are a few runners that will be touchdown vultures in their rookie year and Hardesty will be the best of the bunch. That alone should put him on your watch list. Look for him to slide into Round 3 at worse before being drafted by a team in need of a running back.

6. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: If your fantasy football league counts returns yards and/or touchdowns, Gilyard might be your rookie sleeper to try and get in the draft. He is a fantastic special teams player, who makes big plays on returns due to his elusiveness. Gilyard is a big time playmaker that can explode after catches to turn moving the sticks into touchdowns. He does still need some overall work though as a receiver and route runner, which is why he may struggle coming out of the gate in his rookie season. Gilyard’s numbers in 2009 show his potential, with 1,191 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Look for Gilyard to go in the mid to late 2nd round, possibly to the Kansas City Chiefs or Houston Texans. 

7. Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU: Above I stated that Hardesty was the running backs version of the touchdown vulture. Well, the same can be said for laFell at the wide receiver position. He will be   drafted to make plays in the red zone early on in his career. LaFell’s got the height to go along with big soft hands and the ability to catch the ball away from his body. Without knowing what team he will get drafted by it’s hard to say where else LaFell can make a big impact; however, for fantasy football purposes, his presence in the red zone to score touchdowns is all we need to hear. LaFell had 792 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last season for LSU. He has a Round 2 grade right now and the teams that have shown the most interest include the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. 

As you see, our 2010 NFL Draft - Impact Fantasy Rookies list again consists mostly of running backs and wide receivers with one tight end sneaking into the second tier. The running back position will likely be the one area where you could take a chance on a rookie with; however, most of the wide receivers/tight ends listed after the first tier won’t make a huge fantasy football impact. The WRs and TEs could be the players who flourish late in the year and get you over the hump to a fantasy title, but you should take a wait and see approach.

Remember to check back next Tuesday for Part 3 of our four-part series breaking down potential Impact Fantasy Football Rookies

Impact Fantasy Rookies:  Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 3  |  Part 4

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