Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Normal fantasy football leagues have come to an end and what a great season it was. We hope that you did well in your league, or leagues, but if you’re still looking for some fantasy football action while the playoffs go on, and you’re looking for some help then look no further because the Bruno Boys will be here throughout the postseason. As such we’ll be releasing our normal weekly position rankings to help you best decide which players to go with in our Fantasy Football Playoff Challenge. To see where this round’s defenses rank continue reading the Championship Round edition of the Bruno Boys Weekly Team Defense Rankings.

Early on with eight teams to fill your Fantasy Football Playoff Challenge team, it seemed like the defensive selection may not make a whole lot of difference. Now, that the field has been carved down to four, it’s the defense that may become the factor in you nudging out your friend or favorite Bruno Boys’ writer in this highly competitive league. Consider this - with only four teams left, there is a good chance of you having the same QB/RB/WR combination. That makes the defense all that more important for you to choose the right one.

Hopefully, we can make that choice easier for you. Early on in the playoffs, it has been the AFC defenses who have really shined. Outside of one NFC defense playing well a week, mostly every AFC defense has played average at worst and could be counted out to get your team the extra points you needed to this point. Nothing changes this week, as uncertainty in the NFC match-up, plus the AFC defenses looking like stellar units a week ago tells us you may want to stick to the AFC conference again this weekend.

As we head into the article, I would like to explain the “Bruno Boys Star System”.

BRUNO BOYS DEFENSIVE STAR SYSTEM

5-Stars (* * * * *) - Bruno Boys Top Plays of the Week

4-Stars (* * * *) – Bruno Boys Very Solid Plays of the Week

3-Stars (* * *) – Bruno Boys Average Plays of the Week

2-Stars (* *) – Bruno Boys Try to Avoid Playing this Week

1-Star (*) – Bruno Boys Do Not Start Unless You COMPLETELY Have To

Key Abbreviations: YPG (Yards Per Game); PPG (Points Per Game)

1. (Indianapolis Colts) vs. New York Jets

We know you may be thinking, are you crazy? Surprisingly enough the Indianapolis Colts’ defense looks like the best play for this week. The biggest fear for them coming into the playoffs was their run defense, who continually got gashed at the end of the regular season. Well, it wasn’t a problem for them last Saturday night, as they only allowed a total of 87 yards rushing to a very good Baltimore Ravens’ rushing attack. Although the Indianapolis defense only recorded one sack, the four turnovers they created shows that they were aggressive and trying to make big plays. That’s great news for fantasy owners, but bad news for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, whose New York Jets may need to throw a bit more with the Colts run defense looking like a determined unit. Right now, the Jets haven’t made a lot of mistakes during their playoff run, but eventually, their luck will run out. Adding to the Colts’ appeal is the fact that New York isn’t lighting up the scoreboard. If you are looking for a leg up on the competition, this may be the defense others pass on, which you can take advantage of. 
Bruno Boys Stars: * * * * *

2. (New York Jets) @ Indianapolis Colts

While the Indianapolis Colts’ offense does pose a bigger threat than the San Diego Chargers’ unit did, you are still looking at a premier defense that has shined from Week 1 of the regular season up to this point. Cornerback Darrelle Revis will take wide receiver Reggie Wayne out of the game, meaning quarterback Peyton Manning will need to rely on youngsters Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie to make some plays. While those players should get it done on the field, it won’t be with overwhelming success. New York will throw a lot of blitzes at Manning, and while he does make excellent reads, the pressure plus solid down-field coverage will force the Colts into a few more three-and-outs than normal. With 5 sacks and 4 turnovers in 2 games, the Jets have shown this postseason they can be relied upon. If you don’t trust the Indianapolis defense, New York is a terrific fall back option.
Bruno Boys Stars: * * * *

3. (Minnesota Vikings) @ New Orleans Saints

Here is an example of a match-up giving us a cause for concern. Looking at least week, where the Minnesota Vikings stopped one of the hottest teams in football in the Dallas Cowboys and held them to 3 points, their defense seemed like the unit to trust in for the rest of the playoffs. Minnesota racked up 6 sacks in that game, while adding 3 turnovers. All the numbers mentioned made the Vikings defense the best play a week ago, and there is no doubt that those numbers could easily be duplicated. Here is the difference though, going into the conference championship game, they will take on an even better offense in the New Orleans Saints, who last week looked like they found their early season rhythm, and face a quarterback in Drew Brees that can light you up at any point. While the stout defensive line for Minnesota will try to keep Brees out of the pocket, and yes defensive end Jared Allen will likely get a sack or two, there are simply way too many playmakers for Brees to find in the open field. Minnesota’s strength has always been their defensive line this season, but they lack quality cover guys. That is why the Vikings defense remains an average play going into Sunday’s action.
Bruno Boys Stars: * * *

4. (New Orleans Saints) vs. Minnesota Vikings

Last week, we predicted a shootout between New Orleans and the Arizona Cardinals. For any of you who caught the game, you know it ended up being a lopsided victory, with the Saints defense playing like the surprise unit that won the team many games throughout the season. While New Orleans was able to stop the running game of Arizona (allowing only 31 yards after running back Tim Hightower’s 70-yard touchdown burst in the first quarter), the fact remains that the defense was only able to collect 1 sack and 2 turnovers. Those numbers simply are not sufficient enough for us fantasy football owners. This week, if the Saints defense can control the Minnesota Vikings’ running game, they may be able to force quarterback Brett Favre into bad throws. Then again, limiting running back Adrian Peterson most likely will be the result of one on one coverage on the outside, which may be trouble. It’s tough to say how New Orleans will come out and play on defense and unless they can create a turnover and take it back for six, there is little upside to be had here. Right now, the Saints defense has the most uncertainty going into this weekend’s action, which is why we advise avoiding the unit all together. 
Bruno Boys Stars: * *

Championship Round Rankings:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  | DEF  (click to read)

Championship Round Start & Sit:  START ‘EM  |  SIT ‘EM  (click to read)

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