Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

The Dallas Cowboys always seem to be just a step away from winning the NFC and advancing to the Super Bowl. They enter the 2010 season with the same expectations, despite playing in one of the best divisions in the NFL. You would think that a team this talented would be loaded with fantasy football star power. While the Cowboys do have some fantasy studs, there are a lot of question marks surrounding not only the offense, but the defense, as well.

The league’s ninth best defense a year ago, the Cowboys’ are projected to be a top-10 selection in most fantasy draft formats in 2010. The loss of veteran leader Ken Hamlin will not help bring this defense back up to par of being one of the top squads selected on draft day;  however, the Cowboys do have some young talent that could make an immediate impact . On the offensive side of the ball, the best fantasy option is of course the emerging wide out Miles Austin, with quarterback Tony Romo a close second. There are a lot of questions surrounding the backfield. Who is the best guy to have on your team among this trio? Will Jason Witten find the end zone after scoring just twice in 2009? Should you just forget about Roy Williams altogether? How much can you expect out of hot shot rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant? As you can see there are many questions surrounding the offense but one thing is for certain.. the Cowboys will find ways to score points.

KEY ADDITIONS

Alex Barron (OL) – Gone is Flozell Adams, enter Alex Barron. The former first-round draft pick was traded from the St. Louis Rams to the Cowboys this off-season. This isn’t exactly a match made in heaven for Dallas. Barron has been the victim of 29 false starts over the last four seasons, and more importantly for fantasy football purposes, Barron has allowed 33 sacks over his five-year career. Dallas simply needed more depth with the offensive line because of the departure of Adams. In the end, the addition of Barron won’t drastically change the values of the Cowboys’ offensive studs, although, Romo may be on the run a little bit more in 2010.

KEY DEPARTURES

Flozell Adams (OL) – Coinciding with my previous point, the loss of Flozell Adams is a big hit for Big D. Dallas has a problem with depth on the offensive line now and it could result in Romo being rushed in the pocket more, and it may hurt the chances of the backfield trio for Dallas. We saw last year how much a weak offensive line frustrated Aaron Rodgers. The dismissal of the 35-year-old long-time Dallas lineman came as a surprise to Cowboys’ fans since this isn’t an offensive line loaded with quality players. Besides Marc Colombo, who spent half of last season hurt, there aren’t really any other strong linemen who deserved to be there more than Flo. Nevertheless, Jerry Jones decided it was time to move on.

Ken Hamlin (S) – Unlike Adams, cutting safety Ken Hamlin was an expected off-season move. Hamlin, who now plays for the Baltimore Ravens, has amassed 488 tackles, 14 interceptions and five sacks over the course of his career. After signing a big deal two years ago, Hamlin turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, so this release may actually improve Dallas’ defense fantasy ranking.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Dez Bryant (WR) – One of the more intriguing draft picks in the 2010 NFL Draft, Dez Bryant was thought of by many to be the first wide receiver to fly off the board. However, it was Georgia Tech wide out Demaryius Thomas who took that honor.  Bryant should find a nice home in Dallas with the rapid fall of Roy Williams. The combination of Bryant with Miles Austin should be a nice one-two punch for Romo, though you should limit your expectations because it’s not often rookie receivers make a splash in year one. Austin will be clearly the top target, and you can’t forget about Jason Witten. Also, Jerry Jones has made it clear that he wants his offense to run the ball more. Still, Bryant is in a good position to make a name for himself in 2010.

Sean Lee (LB) – Like Bryant, don’t expect Sean Lee to give the defense an immediate boost. If all goes according to plan, Lee will be a starter in 2011. His task for 2010 is to sit, watch, learn and occasionally go in to give Keith Brooking a spell. Dallas made some moves to draft Lee, so they must think really highly of him, but he just doesn’t fit into the mold for this season. Brooking is getting on in his years, so if he were to get hurt, Lee will have to step in earlier than planned to contribute.

Need help organizing your fantasy draft? We’ve got you covered….

NFC WEST:  ARI  |  STL  |  SF  |  SEA

NFC SOUTH:  ATL  |  CAR  |  NO  |  TB

NFC NORTH:  CHI  |  DET  |  GB  |  MIN

NFC EAST:    DAL  |  NYG |  PHI |  WAS
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