Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Rich Arleo
- Edited by Marc Caviglia
- Predictions are based on Staff Consensus

::RANKINGS UPDATED AS OF JANUARY 31, 2012::

Well here we are. After 17 weeks of regular season football and three weeks of the playoffs, we are all set for the Super Bowl. Fans will be treated to a Super Bowl XLII rematch between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. There are just six running backs left to rank, and here they are in order in the Bruno Boys Super Bowl Running Back 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

1. Ahmad Bradshaw (New York Giants) @ New England

Bradshaw ran for just 74 yards on 20 carries (3.7 YPC) but was a big part of the passing game with 52 yards on six catches in the Giants NFC Championship victory. He was key in moving the ball into field goal range after the Giants recovered the Kyle Williams fumble as he had three carries for 18 big yards on that drive. That shows that coach Tom Coughlin trusts Bradshaw with the ball when the game is on the line, and the fact that he had 20 carries and Brandon Jacobs had five shows who is the favorite right now. Expect that to continue in the Super Bowl and it will be against a much softer run defense than San Francisco. Bradshaw was hurt for the regular season matchup with New England, but the Patriots run defense is vulnerable. They have, however, performed well these playoffs. After stopping Willis McGahee, they held Ray Rice to 67 yards on 21 carries Sunday and it looks as though they are playing at their best. With that being said, Bradshaw is the best runner left, and should be treated as such.
Point Projection: 15 points

2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (New England Patriots) vs. New York Giants

The Law Firm was solid against a tough Baltimore defense, running for 68 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He was much more efficient than last week and continues to get the starters work, mostly because of his ability in the red zone and this uncanny stat: Green-Ellis has never fumbled the ball in his entire career spanning 510 regular season and 37 postseason carries. The Patriots trust him with the ball and that means he will continue to get the bulk of the carries and basically all of the goal line opportunities for the team. He had 52 yards on 12 carries (4.3 YPC) against the Giants during the regular season, which was actually the sixth most yards he had in a game all year. The G-Men struggled against the run during the regular season, allowing 121.2 YPG and haven’t done much better this postseason (120.3 YPG). Green-Ellis should have a decent showing as long as he can find the end zone again.
Point Projection: 10 points

3. Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants) @ New England

Jacobs had 13 yards on five carries and was a complete afterthought in the game for the Giants. He didn’t look very good and Ahmad Bradshaw was given 20 carries, so it’s not looking like Jacobs will get much work in the Super Bowl. Sure that could change if he breaks off a big run early, but if he starts sluggish again, he’s going to disappear again. He’s the third best option this week, which isn’t saying much.
Point Projection:  4 points

4. Danny Woodhead (New England Patriots) vs. New York Giants

Woodhead had 18 yards on six carries, the second-most on the team behind BenJarvus Green-Ellis’ 15.  He’s gotten just 10 carries combined in the Pats two playoff games and isn’t getting much work as a receiver either. You can’t count on more than a handful of touches for Woodhead and the only way he has any value is if he can do a lot with very little.
Point Projection: 3 points

5. D.J. Ware (New York Giants) @ New England Patriots

Ware didn’t touch the ball Sunday night and had just one target. He is an afterthought in the offense with a healthy Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.
Point Projection:  1 point

6. Stevan Ridley (New England Patriots) vs. New York Giants

After fumbling in the previous game, Ridley was inactive for the Pats AFC Championship victory over Baltimore. It will be interesting to see whether he’s active for the Super Bowl, but it doesn’t look like the team considers him a vital part in this offense right now.
Point Projection: 1 point