Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Cory Steger
- Edited by Marc Caviglia
- Predictions are based on Staff Consensus

WEEK 9 RANKINGS  QB  |  RB |  WR |  TE |  K | DEF

In one of the more intriguing quarterback matchups this week we’ll get to see Robert Griffin and the Washington Redskins play host to Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. It’s this year’s second overall draft pick against last year’s top overall draft pick and offensive rookie of the year. Both Griffin and Newton have been labeled by some as the future of the quarterback position because they are as equally skilled with their arms as they are their legs. Yet, at the halfway point of the season we see one of these two, Griffin, clearly rising to the top of the quarterback crop. Newton, on the other hand, appears to be sinking under the weight of the pressure and expectations that comes with his success last year. The projections for both of these players accurately reflect this below in the Fantasy Football Week 9 Quarterback Rankings, and of course we got writeups on the other 26 quarterbacks as well.

::RANKINGS UPDATED AS OF OCTOBER 30, 2012::

1. Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos) @ Cincinnati

At this point we’re no longer talking about Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning as just the comeback player of the year. If he continues to play like he has been then Manning could easily find himself winning yet another MVP trophy. In throwing for 305 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in last week’s win over the New Orleans Saints, Manning notched his fifth-consecutive game with 20 or more fantasy points. That streak will continue this week against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that hasn’t been that good this season. The Bengals have forced just three interceptions, and their two best games against quarterbacks were against Ryan Tannehill and Blaine Gabbert. Don’t expect much opposition for Manning this week. 
Point Projection: 23 points

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

What was expected to be a two-way shootout last week ended up becoming nothing but target practice for the Denver Broncos. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees struggled his way to a 51.7 completion percentage with two touchdowns and one interception. Though his completion percentage and fantasy points were forgettable, consider it was Brees’ six multiple-touchdown game of the season, and his interception was just his third in his last four games. Translation: Brees is still playing well. Brees will continue to play well this week against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that was torn apart by the Atlanta Falcons last week. Consider that since Week 3 the Eagles have given up an average of 18.2 fantasy points per to opposing quarterbacks.
Point Projection: 22 points

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3. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) vs. Arizona

Typically throwing two touchdown passes with no interceptions would be a good day. However, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers managed to do that with a fumble and only 186 passing yards against a weak Jacksonville defense. Rodgers’ numbers have been terrific since Week 3 so there’s no reason to believe this is a sign that he’s back to his early-season struggles. However, with this week’s matchup coming against an Arizona Cardinals defense that ranks fourth in both passing yards allowed and points allowed per game limits Rodgers’ potential this week.
Point Projection: 20 points

4. Robert Griffin (Washington Redskins) vs. Carolina

Some days even the best quarterbacks struggle, and last week was one of those days for Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin. He didn’t turn the ball over to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he struggled to move the offense and only managed 177 yards with a touchdown. The Carolina Panthers have done OK against quarterbacks but not great, and they’ve not faced a multi-faceted player like Griffin. Last week was just Griffin’s second game of less than 20 fantasy points. Don’t expect him to add to that total again this week.
Point Projection: 20 points

5. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) vs. Jacksonville

Finally it happened. Finally, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had his first multiple touchdown game of the season. In last week’s win over the Seattle Seahawks, Stafford threw for 352 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sure to break out sooner or later, and it’s impressive it came against that Seahawks defense as well. Hopefully we will continue to see games like this going forward because thus far Stafford’s been a let down. This week he has a very favorable matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who rank 23rd in the league in passing yards allowed per game and 27th in points allowed per game.
Point Projection: 19 points

6. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) vs. Dallas

Just one week after a disastrous performance Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was back to high-scoring ways last week when he threw for 262 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Eagles. He has an interesting challenge this week. The Dallas Cowboys have only allowed one quarterback to have a multiple touchdown game this season, however, they’ve also only forced four interceptions. Ryan will enjoy a good game but do not expect another three-touchdown, no-turnover performance.
Point Projection:18 points

7. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ New York Giants

In his previous three games leading up to Week 8 Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had three total touchdown passes. In last week’s win over the Washington Redskins, Roethlisberger had three touchdown passes. Roethlisberger gets the job done when injuries limit the running backs, and he’ll need to get the job done this week against the New York Giants. Both teams can score points so expect see more of the Roethlisberger that we saw last week, this week.
Point Projection: 18 points

8. Eli Manning (New York Giants) vs. Pittsburgh

How bad was New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning last week? Manning completed just 51.7 percent of his passes for 192 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. It was the first game this season in which Manning failed to throw a touchdown. What’s great about Manning is he doesn’t let bad games like this snowball, and that’s why we’ve projected him for 17 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week. His potential is not much greater than that, but he will play better than he did last week.
Point Projection: 17 points

9. Carson Palmer (Oakland Raiders) vs. Tampa Bay

It was good to see Oakland Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer record his second multiple-touchdown game last week. In a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Palmer had two touchdown passes to go along with his 208 passing yards and one interception. Given his opponent, it was disappointing that Palmer didn’t put up bigger numbers last week. Nonetheless, expect that to happen this week. Unlike the Chiefs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Raiders. Thus it is likely we’ll see more of Palmer and the Raiders passing game this week, which is a good thing going against the Buccaneers’ 31st-ranked pass defense.
Point Projection: 17 points

10. Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles) @ New Orleans

Is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick going to be benched in favor of rookie Nick Foles? Of course not. The Eagles do need a spark, however, and Vick can be the one to give it to them this week against the New Orleans Saints. Vick’s statistics last week weren’t great but he did manage to avoid turning the ball, and with a matchup against that ranks 30th in the league in passing yards allowed per game and and 30th in points per game, Vick should have a good game this week regardless of if the Eagles win or lose.
Point Projection: 17 points

11. Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) @ Oakland

It’s like we’re seeing an entirely different quarterback play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since their bye week in Week 5. Who is this player that claims to be the same Josh Freeman that had five touchdowns and four interceptions in the first four weeks of the season? Surely it cannot be the same guy that has nine touchdowns against just one interception in the last three weeks, right? Well Freeman and the Buccaneers look much improved but to expect a fourth-consecutive three-touchdown game is unrealistic. Dial back the expectations just a bit.
Point Projection: 17 points

12. Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Miami

Though he has more interceptions (3) than touchdown passes (1) in his last three games, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck continues to produce solid fantasy points on an almost weekly basis. What better way to cure those touchdown blues than a matchup with the Miami Dolphins and their 27th-ranked pass defense. Miami has given up at least one passing touchdown in all but one game this season, thus you can expect another good game from Luck this week.
Point Projection: 16 points

**2012 BRUNO BOYS FANDUEL WEEK 9 CHAMPIONSHIP —$5 TO PLAY—$8,000 IN PRIZE MONEY** 

We’ve partnered with FanDuel.com to provide our fans an opportunity to play WEEKLY salary cap fantasy football against the Bruno Boys Staff.  In Week 9, we are offering a $500 worth of cash prizes and a the winner gets a seat in our Week 11 Bruno Boys Championship Make sure to sign-up now for a chance to win $8,000 in prize money and take on the Bruno Boys… IT’S JUST $5!!

Please use this link to enter for JUST $5 in Week 9:  $500 IN PAYOUTS/ SEAT IN BBFC  (click to register)

13. Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) @ Washington

Going backward. That is the only way to describe Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton right now. Newton did throw for 314 yards in last week’s loss to the Chicago Bears, but he failed to score a touchdown and threw two interceptions. There’s no reason to expect Newton to be as bad this week against a Washington Redskins defense that’s significantly worse than Chicago’s. However, until we see some real progress from Newton expect to see his name in middle of the rankings more often.
Point Projection: 16 points

14. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) @ Atlanta

You see Tony Romo’s 437 passing yards last week and you are impressed. You see his one touchdown and like him even more. That is until you notice his four interceptions. It was the second time this season the Dallas quarterback had four or more interceptions in a game, and he now has four more interceptions (13) than touchdowns this season (9). Ouch. Don’t expect things to improve this week against an Atlanta defense that’s forced three different quarterbacks into single-digit fantasy performances this season.
Point Projection: 16 points