Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Ryan Boser
- Edited by Marc Caviglia
- Predictions are based on Staff Consensus

::RANKINGS UPDATED AS OF DECEMBER 4, 2011::

Week 12 was a mixed bag for fantasy owners making playoff pushes on the arms of big-name quarterbacks. Let’s start with the good: Drew Brees single-handedly won matchups for his fantasy owners, Tom Brady rolled in Philadelphia, and Matt Ryan notched a touchdown trifecta against the Vikings. Unfortunately, the unexpected shootout between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mark Sanchez went wasted in most leagues due the pair’s recent struggles, and the largely unowned Vince Young totaled 440 yards of offense.

Aaron Rodgers put up great numbers for anyone not named Aaron Rodgers, but his underwhelming (for him) stat line felt awfully light for those expecting a Turkey Day touchdown-fest. Around the league, fantasy starters Cam Newton, Tim Tebow and Tony Romo didn’t lose matchups for their owners, but they certainly didn’t win them either. Finally, Matthew Stafford, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers daggered the dreams of anyone banking on big games from their signal callers.

It’s now or never, and it all starts with our Fantasy Football Week 13 Quarterback Rankings!

Standard Scoring

Pass TD: 4 points |  All Other TDs: 6 points
25 Passing Yards: 1 point |  All Turnovers: -2 points
10 Rushing Yards: 1 point |  10 Receiving Yards: 1 point

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1. Tom Brady (New England Patriots) vs. Indianapolis

Coming off a rather disappointing effort against the Chiefs, Tom Brady exploded in Philadelphia for his best fantasy showing since September. Brady completed 24-of-34 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, and his 28 rushing yards were his highest output since December 24th, 2006. With Aaron Rodgers playing out of his mind, Brady has some work to do if he plans on regaining his perch atop the pantheon of fantasy signal callers, but he could put a dent in the gap this week. The Colts’ No. 26 fantasy pass defense has given up touchdowns in bunches over the past couple months to the likes of Matt Cassel (four), Drew Brees (five) and Matt Ryan (three).
Point Projection: 24 points

2. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) vs. Detroit

Drew Brees gave fantasy owners a “Get Out of Jail Free” card Monday night. To clarify, Brees bailed out even the most desperate of fantasy owners with 363 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing score. Detroit is a top-ten fantasy pass defense, but when Brees is in the zone he can make any defense look bad. He’ll battle Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers down the stretch for fantasy supremacy.
Point Projection: 24 points

3. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) @ New York Giants

It may seem silly to complain about 307 yards and two touchdowns, but as a victim of his own greatness, Aaron Rodgers has nobody to blame but himself. After all, the Thanksgiving victory over Detroit marked the first time Rodgers failed to notch at least three touchdown passes in his last six games. What gives, Aaron? All kidding aside, Rodgers’ new fantasy floor is still higher than most quarterbacks’ ceilings. The Giants represent a neutral opponent, so Rodgers should “rebound” quite nicely in New York.
Point Projection: 22 points

4. Eli Manning (New York Giants) vs. Green Bay

On Monday night in New Orleans, Eli Manning used extensive garbage time to crack the 400-yard mark for the second time this season. Eli completed 33-of-47 passes for 406 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He’s averaged a ridiculous 327 passing yards in his last seven games, and he’s connected on multiple touchdowns in four of his last five. The Packers’ No. 30 fantasy pass defense has been gouged repeatedly throughout the season, so expect Manning to continue his torrid pace in Week 13.
Point Projection: 20 points

5. Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) @ Tampa Bay

Cam Newton has progressed to the point that he can go out and sleepwalk his way to a 17-point fantasy day. Newton completed 20-of-27 passes for an uneventful 208 yards against the Colts, and added nine rushes for 53 yards and a score. Newton is the first rookie to amass 10 touchdowns both rushing and passing in NFL history, and he’s on pace to shatter Steve Grogan’s NFL record of 12 rushing scores by a quarterback. Tampa Bay ranks No. 22 against opposing passers and No. 31 against opposing rushers, so Newton’s dual talents should be on full display Sunday.
Point Projection: 20 points

6. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) @ Arizona

Tony Romo was one of the many star quarterbacks who failed to live up to expectations in Week 12. Squaring off against Miami’s middling secondary on Thanksgiving, Romo delivered his worst passing day in a month (226 yards). Although he added two touchdown passes, he was also intercepted twice after being picked just once in his previous five games combined. Like Miami, Arizona is a middle-tier fantasy pass defense. Look for Romo to utilize his mobility more than usual this week, as Arizona has struggled mightily to stop opposing quarterbacks on the ground. Cam Newton, Tarvaris Jackson and Donovan McNabb all rushed for touchdowns against the Cardinals, and Michael Vick also added 79 yards.
Point Projection: 18 points

7. Tim Tebow (Denver Broncos) @ Minnesota

Tim Tebow has settled into a consistent pattern. Regardless of opponent, we can expect somewhere around 125 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, one-or-two total touchdowns and a Denver victory. The Vikings rank No. 31 against the pass, allowing multiple touchdowns to opposing signal callers in six straight games. What’s more, they’ve allowed quarterbacks to score on the ground in two of their last three, so Tebow has a nice opportunity to stretch his ceiling this week.
Point Projection: 18 points

8. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) @ New Orleans

Coming off a five-touchdown performance against Carolina, Matthew Stafford appeared primed for a Thanksgiving fantasy feast against Green Bay’s No. 31 pass defense. Instead, he reverted back to pre-Panther form, throwing for 276 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He’s now been intercepted nine times in the three games since sustaining an index finger injury (on his throwing hand) against the Broncos in Week 8. Despite his adamant downplaying of the injury, its impact on his play has to be called into question. The Saints have a high-scoring offense and a below-average pass defense, so while the formula for success is in place, Stafford flopped in an even better situation last week. Until things even out, he shapes up as a boom-or-bust fantasy signal caller.
Point Projection: 17 points

9. Vince Young / Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles) @ Seattle

With Michael Vick (ribs) yet to return to practice and the Eagles playing Thursday night, Vince Young appears the favorite to make his third consecutive start. Last week we featured Young’s meeting with the Patriots in our “Matchups to Exploit” article, and he came through with 400 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, one passing touchdown and one interception. Seattle is an above average fantasy pass defense, but they can certainly be beat. Last week Rex Grossman dropped 314 yards and two touchdowns on them, so the multi-faceted Young is worth consideration for teams desperate at the position.
Point Projection: 16 points

10. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Cincinnati

A disturbing trend is developing with Ben Roethlisberger. He’s posted exactly one touchdown and one interception in each of his last three games. Moreover, he’s completed 20, 21 and 21 passes in those three games, and has seen his yardage dip from 330 yards, to 245 yards to 193 yards. Although Cincinnati ranks No. 7 against opposing quarterbacks, they’ve allowed two touchdown passes to both Joe Flacco and Colt McCoy in their two games without Colt McCoy. Without Hall this shapes up as a neutral matchup for Big Ben, but considering his recent downturn in production, he’s no sure thing as a QB1.
Point Projection: 16 points

**BEAT BRUNO BOYS ALLIE $1,000 WEEK 13 CONTEST - TOP 9 PAID** 

 

We’ve partnered with DraftStreet.com to provide our fans an opportunity to play WEEKLY salary cap fantasy football against the Bruno Boys Staff.  Through the first 12 weeks of the NFL season we have given away over $4,600 in cash prizes. This week, we are offering a $1,000 cash prize tournament in which you pay $11 entry fee and not only can you win up to $1,000 in prizes, if you beat Bruno Boys Allie we give you $5 back. The tournament is limited to the first 100 sign-ups and you can register up to three separate teams.

Please use this link to enter for a chance to beat Bruno Boys Allie:  Week 13 $1,000 Contest  (click to register)

11. Matt Moore (Miami Dolphins) vs. Oakland

Matt Moore continued his strong play on Thanksgiving against the Cowboys, completing 19-of-32 passes for a season-high 288 yards and one touchdown. In his past four games he’s been intercepted just once, and has two three-touchdown efforts to his name, so he’s quickly shaping up as a dependable fantasy option with very nice upside. Oakland’s bottom-five fantasy pass defense has allowed multiple touchdown passes to nine of the last 10 quarterbacks they’ve faced, including Christian Ponder and Caleb Hanie in the past two weeks. Fantasy owners locked into the weekly quarterback shuffle would be well served to give Moore serious starting consideration this week.
Point Projection: 15 points

12. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) @ Houston

Last week Matt Ryan carved up the deplorable Minnesota Vikings secondary, and while we called the matchup a “foolproof play” last week, it’s still nice to see a guy do what he’s supposed to do. In the four games since the Falcons’ Week 8 bye, Ryan has totaled nine touchdowns against just two interceptions, and he’s averaged 301 yards per contest. He’ll put his scorching-hot streak to the test this week when he travels to Houston to face the Texans’ top-five fantasy pass defense. Houston has allowed just four touchdown passes in their last six games, and only four teams have collected more than their 15 interceptions. Ryan has probably earned the benefit of the doubt, but fantasy owners can’t feel great about starting him.
Point Projection: 14 points

13. Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers) @ Jacksonville

NFL interception leader (17) Philip Rivers refrained from throwing a pick for the first time in his last seven games against Denver. That’s where the good news ends. As we’ve come to expect, Rivers was lousy, completing a pathetic 19-of-36 passes for an even more pathetic 188 yards and one touchdown. Jacksonville’s top-five fantasy pass defense hasn’t allowed multiple touchdown passes since Week 5, so Rivers should be avoided if at all possible.
Point Projection: 14 points

14. Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) vs. Carolina

In his last three games, Josh Freeman has topped 200 yards just once, and he’s totaled four touchdowns against six interceptions. The Bucs have leaned heavily on LeGarrette Blount in the past two weeks, and that trend should continue against a Carolina Panthers team that ranks No. 17 against fantasy quarterbacks and No. 32 against opposing running backs. Only Drew Brees has thrown more interceptions than Josh Freeman, so expect the Bucs to take the path of least resistance against Carolina.
Point Projection: 14 points

15. Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) @ Washington

Mark Sanchez had come up woefully short in three consecutive favorable matchups, so a meeting with the very beatable Buffalo Bills was far from a sure thing. Although he threw for just 180 yards, he cashed in with four touchdown passes against just one interception. He’s now accounted for multiple touchdowns in eight-of-11 games. Washington’s solid pass defense has yet to allow a 300-yard passer, but in the past two weeks Tony Romo and Tarvaris Jackson have combined for five touchdowns and just one interception. After last week’s performance, Sanchez has returned to borderline QB1 territory.
Point Projection: 13 points

16. Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buffalo Bills) vs. Tennessee

Thanks for nothing, Ryan Fitzpatrick. After totaling two touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 182-yard average in his previous three games, most owners had rightfully benched or dropped Fitzpatrick. After all, it wasn’t like he was going to break out of his funk on the road against the Jets’ elite pass defense. More than likely, the only people who cashed in on Fitzpatrick’s 264 passing yards, three touchdowns and 34 rushing yards were deadbeat owners who hadn’t checked their lineups since September. He’ll look to continue his revival this week against another solid pass defense in the Tennessee Titans, but after two months of inadequacy, we remain a bit skeptical.
Point Projection: 12 points