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.  **All draft picks were made before the 2011 NFL Draft**

2011 FANTASY FOOTBALL PPR MOCK DRAFT ROUND 7 RESULTS

7.01: Bruno Boys Rich - Steve Smith, WR, New York Giants — Call me crazy but I expect Smith to return to the Giants, however even if he doesn’t, I still like his fantasy football value in a PPR league. As long as Smith stays on the field (something you can say about so many guys), he’s bound to record close to 90 passes while roaming the middle of the field in the Giants’ offense.

 
7.02: Bruno Boys Allie - Deion Branch, WR, New England Patriots — Though he didn’t find his way back to New England wearing a pair of ruby red slippers, clutching a little dog named Toto and repeating the mantra “there’s no place like home,” wide receiver Deion Branch proved that he could be productive in the Patriots offense the second time around. He and Tom Brady quickly recaptured the chemistry they shared during his previous stint with the team. Branch caught 48 receptions for 706 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games with the Patriots. The veteran wideout should continue to play a key role in the New England passing game in 2011. I feel confident drafting him as my WR3 ahead of some other guys who play in much sketchier offenses.

7.03: Bruno Boys Kyle - Ryan Grant, RB, Green Bay Packers — Yes, Grant got hurt last season, and the Packers won the Super Bowl without him, and no, he does not offer a huge upside in terms of pass-catching ability in a PPR league (though he does have at least 25 catches in two of his last three healthy seasons), but Grant is still a solid value here. When healthy, he offers plenty to fantasy football owners, having rushed for more than 1,200 yards in each of the two previous seasons before getting injured.

7.04: Bruno Boys Ryan - Jay Cutler, QB Chicago Bears — I don’t pick again for a long time so I wanted to make sure I snagged a QB1 before those drafting after me take theirs. I have Johnny Knox already and Jay Cutler was really impressive at times for the Chicago Bears in 2010. If the Bears sign one of the talented free agent wide receivers, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cutler puts up career numbers in his third season with the Bears. Especially considering he already has a year under his belt in Mike Martz’s complex passing offense.

7.05: Bruno Boys Lane - Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — I’m pretty excited that Freeman was still on the board after I decided to go with a receiver in Round 6. Tampa Bay’s up and coming quarterback made vast improvements from his rookie season, raising his completion percentage nearly seven points and improving his touchdown to interception ratio tremendously. In fact, Freeman threw 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions last year. What really sets him apart is his running ability as he picked up 364 yards on the ground, good for third among quarterbacks. Running quarterbacks are money in fantasy, and with another year under his belt Freeman should only get better in the passing game as well.

7.06: Bruno Boys James - Danny Woodhead, RB, New England Patriots — Entering Round 7, I now have two running backs, three wide receivers and my quarterback but instead of going tight end, I would rather build up some depth with this pick. In a PPR format, Danny Woodhead is everything you could want in a back up running back. In his first season of actual usage, the Patriots figured out how to make him a highly effective option and a lot has to do with his receiving skills. Woodhead rushed 97 times and caught 34 balls and I don’t see why those numbers won’t increase in 2011. There’s something exciting about him that I couldn’t pass up.

7.07: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Santana Moss, WR, Washington Redskins — Moss isn’t the sexiest pick in the draft, however you can’t discount his consistency as he enters his 11th NFL season. He has hauled in at least 70 receptions in each of his last three seasons, and his 93 receptions for 1,115 yards and six touchdowns marked his most productive season since 2005. The biggest concern with this pick is the quarterback issues in Washington, and the fact that he is a free agent, however many seem to forget that if he resigns with Washington he is the clear cut No. 1 option and will be getting his targets regardless of who is under center. Moss finished as a low-end WR1 in PPR formats last year, and while I don’t expect this type of production again, he is an ideal WR3 option for my fantasy squad.

7.08: Bruno Boys JRonstadt - Mark Ingram, RB, Rookie — With only two running backs on my roster, I decided to shore up the position with rookie Mark Ingram. Ingram, viewed as the top runner in the upcoming draft after amassing 3,261 yards and 42 touchdowns during his three years at Alabama, is a solid bet to land immediate playing time with whichever team tabs him as a mid-first-round pick. In addition to possessing excellent power and an uncanny nose for the end zone, Ingram is also a capable pass-catcher, having collecting 53 receptions for 616 yards and four touchdowns during his sophomore and junior campaigns.

7.09: Bruno Boys Jimbo -  Reggie Bush, RB, New Orleans Saints — He had some injury and consistency issues, but Reggie Bush still has some good fantasy value in a PPR league. When Bush is healthy, Drew Brees

< constantly looks his way. I'm asking Bush to by my RB3 here, so I feel like I can take the risk of snagging him, despite his inability to produce at a high level overall. I did not want to wait much longer to get my first backup running back, and looking at the backs remaining on the board, I'm going to take my chances with the guy who I know will catch the ball, if nothing else.

7.10: Bruno Boys Brad - A.J. Green, WR, Rookie — I targeted a third wide receiver here, and I like Green’s potential as a rookie. I think he can step in and have an immediate impact wherever he lands, as he is likely to land on a team that will give him every opportunity to start or at least have a significant role right away. The stigma that rookie wide receivers can’t be significant fantasy football contributors has been going away in recent years and I wouldn’t be surprised if Green is the 2011 version of Tampa Mike Williams.

7.11: Bruno Boys Cory - Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons —  I did not want to wait any longer to pick my quarterback so with this pick I chose Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. His numbers have steadily improved each year, culminating in 3,705 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and just nine interceptions last year. He’s young so there’s still room for him to grow but I’d really like to see the Falcons get him another receiver. Ryan’s stats aren’t going to blow anybody away but they’re still very good, and I’m very happy to get him in Round 7.

7.12:  Steve Coppola - Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego Chargers — I need a WR3 to fill my starting lineup and the receivers available have similar potential and upside, however none of them has a solidified role in their team’s offense. I wanted to go with Floyd because of his performance last year and rapport with Philip Rivers in the powerful aerial attack in San Diego. Floyd was primarily a WR1 before Vincent Jackson came back from suspension and put up good numbers including a line of eight receptions for 213 yards and three touchdowns in Week 5 . Floyd, a free agent, is among San Diego’s top priorities this offseason, however even if he lands on another team he can easily surpass the 717 yard (19.4 yards per catch average) and career high six touchdowns he produced last season.

 
PPR ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  (click to view)

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

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