Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

It’s Week 15 of the NFL season and if you are still reading the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football News and Notes you are likely still alive in your fantasy football season. If you are still playing meaningful fantasy football games at this point in the season, you definitely want to have the most up-to-date information possible when making decisions in your starting lineup. As we have been each week since the offseason, the Bruno Boys are here to take a look at the fantasy football impact of some of the news around the NFL.

This week we will once again discuss the impact of injuries to key fantasy football options. As you continue into your fantasy playoffs, we here at the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football would like to wish you continued success this season and we hope that you take one step closer to your dream of a fantasy football championship this season.

Larry Fitzgerald has been limited practice, expected to play versus Detroit

Many fantasy owners drafted Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald as the first wide receiver off the board this summer and how could you blame them. He is an elite NFL and fantasy wide receiver, plus his fantasy football playoff schedule looked great with San Francisco, Detroit and St. Louis in Weeks 14-16. Unfortunately for owners he had his worst statistical performance of the season in Week 14 with two receptions for 22 yards against the 49ers. Although he did suffer a bruised bone in his leg and a knee injury in the third quarter,  Fitzgerald was able return to the game.

A MRI on Tuesday revealed no serious damage to the knee and it was diagnosed as a sprain. Fitzgerald was able to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday & Thursday and he is officially listed as questionable for this week’s game against the defensively challenged Detroit Lions. Continue to monitor his situation throughout the week’s practice and if he plays he is an obvious must-start fantasy option with your season on the line.

Nagging injuries sideline Tom Brady, he should start Week 15

There are a few things you do not want from your elite fantasy quarterback heading into the playoffs. One would be a slew of nagging injuries and the other might be the birth of a brand new baby causing a lack of sleep. This is exactly what owners of Tom Brady are dealing with this week. He is on the injury report with finger, rib and shoulder problems and he is questionable for Sunday’s match-up against the Buffalo Bills. Brady did say that his biggest challenge this week is getting enough sleep with his new born son keeping him awake at night.

Brady missed the Patriots practice on Wednesday, but it does not appear to be as cause for concern. He missed the team’s practices on both Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for Week 14, but he practiced on Friday and played in the game. He did not have a great game finishing with a season-low 192 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but he didn’t need to do more as New England went on to beat the Carolina Panthers. Even though he is listed as questionable, we expect Brady to play this week. He passed for 378 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in Week 1 against the Bills. You should only be concerned if he doesn’t practice on Friday.

Back injury, Swine Flu outbreak causes Steven Jackson to miss more practice time

In what is becoming a bit of old news, St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson has missed practice time again this week with a back injury. He has been dealing with this injury for three weeks now and Wednesday marked the 10th straight full practice he has missed, but he has not missed any game time due to the back strain. On Thursday the Rams canceled practice due to the fact that there is a case of Swine Flu surfacing amongst the players. St. Louis is expected to be on the field for a Friday practice.

It is always a bit concerning when one of your top players misses practice time, but with this being a repeat of the last few weeks it appear safe to insert Jackson into your fantasy football lineup this week. He has rushed for more then 100 yards in five of his last seven games and he has scored four touchdowns during that span, although he did have his worst rushing performance of the season when he had 19 carries for 47 yards against the Tennessee Titans last week. Despite the sore back Jackson remains a top-10 fantasy running back option this week when the Rams take on the Houston Texans. 

Matt Schaub has shoulder injury, practices in full on Wednesday

Coming off one of his best games of the season in which he completed 29 of 39 passes for 365 yards with two touchdowns and one interception last week against the Seattle Seahawks, Matt Schaub has appeared on the Texans injury report with a left shoulder injury. He did participate in a full team practice on Wednesday and he is listed as probable for Sunday’s contest against the St. Louis Rams.

Schaub is completing 68.5 percent of his passes this season and he has thrown for 3,814 yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions through 13 games. He has another very good match-up this week when Houston faces a Rams defense that is allowing more then 222 passing yards per game and has given up 18 passing touchdowns this season. Continue to use Schaub as a starting fantasy option this week as he has vaulted into a top-10 fantasy football quarterback this season.

Still struggling with migraines Percy Harvin misses practice Wednesday

Early this week it appeared that Minnesota Vikings rookie Percy Harvin would be able to return to team’s lineup this week after sitting out in Week 14 while suffering from migraine headaches. He participated in the Vikings walkthrough on Wednesday morning, but he was not able to participate in the team’s full practice. He is undergoing tests to find out the extent of the problem and hopefully they can come up with a resolution.

This is disappointing for Viking fans and fantasy football owners alike. Harvin has been one of the best offensive rookies this season with 681 receiving yards and six touchdowns, not to mention he is second in the NFL in kickoff return yardage and he has returned two kickoffs for scores. Before missing last week’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals he had 25 receptions for 396 yards with four touchdowns over his last five games. Monitor his situation throughout the rest of the week, but he could be a game time decision and the Vikings play in the Sunday night game this week. Consider Harvin an injury risk against the Carolina Panthers this week and if the headaches persist you might want to consider other options.

Hines Ward misses practice on Wednesday, returns to full practice on Thursday

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward missed the team’s practice on Wednesday but was back on the practice field on Thursday. Ward continues to deal with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 13 but last week and was able to play in the Steelers’ Week 14 loss to the Cleveland Browns, although he did manage just four receptions for 21 yards in the game and he appeared to be slowed by the injury.

Ward was drafted by many owners this summer as a low-end WR2 or WR3 and he has performed as a WR1 at times this season. He has 76 receptions for 943 yards with six touchdowns through 13 games in the Steelers new and improved passing attack. Ward is listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest against the Green Bay Packers who have the No. 3 ranked pass defense in the NFL. With the injury and the tough match-up you may want to consider a similar option who is healthy and has a better match-up in Week 15.

Week 15 Rankings:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  | DEF    (click to read)

Week 15 Start & Sit:  START ‘EM  |  SIT ‘EM    (click to read)

Week 15 Waiver Wire Advice:  PICK THEM UP  |  CUT THEM LOOSE    (click to read)

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