Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Just because the NFL is in the middle of a lockout it doesn’t mean that you can’t start preparing for the upcoming fantasy football season. Comprised of 11 members of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Staff and guest draftee Steve Coppola , a member of the Bruno Boys Forum, we bring to you the second of many Fantasy Football 2011 Mock Drafts. This draft will be a 16-round affair based on a points per reception (PPR) scoring league (Pass TDs - 4 points, All Other TDs - 6 points, 25 Yards Passing - 1 point, 10 Yards Rushing/Receiving - 1 point, All Receptions - 1 point). Outside of having to field a starting lineup made up of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 D/ST, owners are free to fill out their rosters any way they like. 

Commentary after each pick is provided by the Bruno Boys staff member who made that pick. The draft started on March 9, 2011. Be sure to check back on a regular basis for updates and feel free to give your opinion in our comments section.

2011 FANTASY FOOTBALL PPR MOCK DRAFT ROUND 15 RESULTS

15.01: Bruno Boys Rich - Sebastian Janikowski, K, Oakland Raiders — I usually like to draft my kicker in the last round, but knowing I’m not going to end up with anyone special, I figured I’d grab who I think is really the best fantasy kicker in the league. He led all kickers in standard scoring with 150 points last year with the help of 11 kicks from 40+ yards. His big boot makes him as good a bet as anyone to hit from deep for big fantasy points, and the Raiders offense is solid enough to give him enough extra point opportunities. Janikowski is as good as it gets at a position that is as bad as it gets.

 
15.02: Bruno Boys Allie - Garrett Hartley, K, New Orleans Saints — I usually draft a kicker with my last pick, however I’m changing things up this time given my draft position. Hartley appeals because he plays on a high-scoring offense, kicks in a dome at least half the time, and has a big leg. While other kickers had more points than Hartley in 2010, I think he gets back on track this coming season. He signed a new five-year deal with New Orleans this offseason. The Saints believe in Hartley and so do I.

15.03: Bruno Boys Kyle - Jordan Shipley, WR, Cincinnati Bengals — There isn’t anything in particular that I need, so I’ll just go ahead and take a shot on Shipley, who has the tools to become a bigger contributor this season in his second year.

15.04: Bruno Boys Ryan - Mike Goodson, RB, Carolina Panthers — I’ll take a shot and draft Goodson considering Deangelo Williams seems likely to leave Carolina. If Williams bolts town, Goodson should see his share of action backing up Johnathan Stewart. He proved he could be an effective option last season especially in Weeks 10 and 11 where he accumulated 220 yards rushing.

15.05: Bruno Boys Lane - Joe McKnight, WR, New York Jets — Recent speculation and rumor out of New York is that McKnight will be hopping LaDainian Tomlinson in the backfield pecking order and be the primary backup to Shonn Greene. There’s been a lot of talk about how much he matured last season, and in the 15th round that’s good enough for me. If Greene isn’t able to please the coaching staff as he did last year, it will be McKnight, not Tomlinson, who will be reaping the benefits.

15.06: Bruno Boys James - Nate Kaeding, K, San Diego Chargers — I normally would wait until the last round but at this point all that is left are shots in the dark. Figure while some of the top tier kickers remain and one still has to start for your team every week, having the kicker on one of the highest scoring offenses in the league is never a bad thing. Kaeding missed three games last season but finished with the fourth highest point per game average at 9.2 last year and see no reason he couldn’t repeat that again.

15.07: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Stephen Gostkowski, K, New England Patriots — Staying true to my “draft a place kicker in a high-powered offense philosophy” I will go with Gostkowski in Round 15. The Patriots averaged 32.4 points per game in 2010, which led the NFL in scoring, and even though Gostkowski missed the majority of last season with a torn quad he is a proven fantasy threat. While health is an issue, it’s worth the risk because the second he gets hurt I should be able to find a solid kicker on the waiver wire.

15.08: Bruno Boys JRonstadt - San Francisco 49ers D/ST — Drafted as a top-five unit in many fantasy drafts last September, the 49ers team defense was a massive disappointment in 2010; thirteen units finished with more fantasy points than San Francisco. With that said, the 49ers played much better in the second-half of the season and are still in possession of some outstanding defenders, particularly MLB Patrick Willis, one of the more dynamic players in the league, and RDE Justin Smith, who has accounted for 22 sacks since 2008.

15.09: Bruno Boys Jimbo -  Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers — Hines Ward’s days are numbered as a star in the NFL, and Emmanuel Sanders is primed to take his spot in the depth chart. While his 2010 stats are not incredible, Sanders’ snap count went up remarkably in the second half of the season. In the last three games of the regular season, he caught 12 passes for 148 yards. Sanders is by no means in my starting lineup in Week 1, but he’s definitely somebody you want to stash on your bench for later in the year.

15.10: Bruno Boys Brad - Mason Crosby, K, Green Bay Packers — I need a kicker and a defense with my last two picks, and I’ll take Crosby as my kicker. The Packers should have a prolific offense again in 2011, and a healthy Ryan Grant in the backfield will only help. It really pains me to draft any Packer, but sometimes you just have to take your medicine and choose the best player available at a position of need.

15.11: Bruno Boys Cory - Matt Bryant, K, Atlanta Falcons —  With my Round 15 I decided it was time to get my kicker. Now, Matt Bryant of the Atlanta Falcons may not be the biggest name left on the board but the guy is very consistent. He had eight double-digit games last season and averaged 8.5 points per game. The Falcons offense isn’t going to blow anybody away but Bryant gets the job done when needed, and he does it often and consistently enough to be a great fantasy football kicker.

15.12:  Steve Coppola - Anthony Armstrong, WR, Washington Redskins — Looking over what players are left Anthony Armstrong may have the most upside. Armstrong totaled 871 receiving yards with a respectable 19.8 yards per catch. Santana Moss is getting up there in age and not guaranteed to return to Washington. Even though the Redskins are likely to be drafting a wide receiver, Armstrong proved to the franchise last year that he should be a big part of their plans in 2011.

 
PPR ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14

STANDARD ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16

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