Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Week 10 is upon us, and with it, the last week of the season with byes. The New York Giants and Houston Texans are off this week, meaning no Andre Johnson or Steve Smith, but the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders return from their byes, so look on the bright side – you get Terrell Owens and Darrius Heyward-Bey back in your line-ups! Okay, that was a bad example and a cheap shot, maybe those two won’t help you get in the fantasy playoffs, but Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice and Jerricho Cotchery, who also return this week, just might. So without further ado, check out the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 10 Wide Receiver Rankings.

1. Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) vs. Seattle

After relative struggles for two consecutive weeks, Fitzgerald hammered the Bears last week, catching nine passes for a season-high 123 yards and two touchdowns. It was just his second 100-yard game of the 2009 season. Know who Fitzgerald’s opponent was in his other 100-yard game this year? The Seattle Seahawks, the very same team he and his Cardinals teammates go up against this week.
Point Projection: 20 points

2. Marques Colston (New Orleans Saints) @ St. Louis

Colston had a tough game last week against the Panthers, with just one catch for 45 yards and a number of drops. He also saw a streak of three straight games with a touchdown reception evaporate. He’ll make up for those lapses, and then some, this week against the Rams’ pudding-soft pass defense.
Point Projection: 19 points

3. Randy Moss (New England Patriots) @ Indianapolis

With six catches for 147 yards and one score last week, Moss has put together games of at least 125 receiving yards in two of his last three contests. All five of his touchdown receptions have come in his last five games, and though Moss faces a stiff pass defense this week in the Colts, he’s playing his best ball of the season at the right time.
Point Projection: 18 points

4. Vincent Jackson (San Diego Chargers) vs. Philadelphia

With his performance this season, Jackson has taken his place among the league’s elite receivers. He caught two more touchdowns last week against the Giants, and now has five scores over his last four games. The Eagles are 11th in the NFL in pass defense, but they are also 20th in the league in passing scores allowed, which should leave his fantasy owners salivating.
Point Projection: 18 points

5. Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) vs. New England

Wayne had his second-least productive day of the season in terms of fantasy points last week, despite catching eight passes. He managed only 64 yards, and his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown ended at five. Though Wayne has not had a good history against the Patriots over his career – having played them 10 times and having accumulated just a single 100-yard game and two touchdowns, that was all done with Marvin Harrison on his opposite side, something that needs to be taken into account.
Point Projection: 17 points

6. Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboys) @ Green Bay

Usually, a receiver who catches just one pass winds up killing his fantasy owners. Austin had just one reception in Dallas’s win over the Eagles on Sunday, but thankfully (or not, depending on if you were playing someone with Austin in their lineup), that one catch went for 49 yards and a touchdown. Austin continues to produce at a high rate even when being minimally involved because of his ability to make things happen after the catch. It’s hard not to love this match-up against the Packers, who have allowed more passing scores than all but three teams in the league.
Point Projection: 16 points

7. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions) @ Minnesota

Johnson and rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford seemed to exchange unkindly words as the rookie signal caller was on his way to throwing five interceptions last week in Detroit’s loss to the Seahawks. All parties involved insist that it was much to do about very little, and there’s every reason to believe you can simply chalk that up to frustration – that’s probably a common emotion when one individual gives the ball to the other team that often. Another common emotion this week will be joy when Johnson rebounds from last week’s debacle to score his second touchdown of the season. His lone score this season came against the Vikings in Week 2.
Point Projection: 16 points

8. Chad Ochocinco (Cincinnati Bengals) @ Pittsburgh

In the first meeting between the Bengals and Steelers, Ochocinco had five catches for just 54 yards and no touchdowns. But that was in Week 3, and since then, the Ocho has turned things up a notch. In the five games since, he’s had three contests with at least 90 receiving yards and has scored four touchdowns.
Point Projection: 15 points

9. Hines Ward (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Cincinnati

Ward was held to fewer than 50 receiving yards for the second game in a row – and just the second time this season – on Monday night as Pittsburgh downed Denver. But all was well in fantasyland as he more than made up for it with two touchdown receptions. Only twice in eight games has Ward had fewer than eight fantasy points.
Point Projection: 15 points

10. Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers) vs. Atlanta

Smith had another average day last week as the Panthers succumbed to the Saints, catching only four passes for 64 yards. He should improve greatly on those numbers this week against the Falcons. Not only does Atlanta have a pass defense that is 27th in the NFL, but Smith had his best game of this season in Week 2 against them, with eight receptions for 131 yards.
Point Projection: 14 points

11. Jerricho Cotchery (New York Jets) vs. Jacksonville

This may seem a bit high for Cotchery on the surface, but a closer look will tell you all you need to know. Before getting hurt in Week 5, Cotchery didn’t have a game with fewer than 70 receiving yards. He once again got to 70 yards in Week 8, before the Jets’ bye, and that was after two weeks of not playing. This week, with extra rest and a date with the Jags, there’s a lot to like about Cotchery. Jacksonville is just 26th in the league against the pass and 26th in passing touchdowns allowed.
Point Projection: 14 points

12. Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos) @ Washington

Marshall established season-highs on Monday night in his team’s loss to the Steelers with 11 receptions and 112 receiving yards on 15 targets. Unfortunately, those catches did not come with a touchdown, and he’s now gone three games without galloping into the end zone. He’s got a difficult match-up this week against the Redskins, who are first in the league in pass defense, and who have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts. Still, he has enough talent and gets the ball thrown his way with enough regularity that he should be able to overcome the poor match-up.
Point Projection: 14 points

13. Wes Welker (New England Patriots) @ Indianapolis

Welker has had at least eight receptions and 80 yards in all but one contest this season, and that includes last week, as he piled up nine catches for 84 yards in the Patriots’ victory over the Dolphins. The Colts have allowed the fewest touchdowns in the league though, which is really the only worrisome factor in this match-up.
Point Projection: 13 points

14. Roddy White (Atlanta Falcons) @ Carolina

White’s streak of consecutive games with a touchdown catch ended at four after being held out of the end zone amid just three catches for 27 yards last week. But with the Falcons dominating on the ground, and the Redskins having the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, he gets a pass. This week, he faces another tough pass defense in the Panthers, but this is the same team that in Week 2 he had six catches against, including one for a touchdown.
Point Projection: 13 points

15. DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles) @ San Diego

Jackson had a hugely disappointing game last week as the Eagles fell to Dallas. He caught only two passes for 29 yards and failed to score for the first time in three weeks. Jackson has caught three or fewer passes in four of his last five games, but long touchdowns in two of those games masked the fact that he wasn’t coming up with the ball that often. Despite the Chargers’ good pass defense, keep the faith in Jackson and his ability to make things happen.
Point Projection: 12 points

16. Donald Driver (Green Bay Packers) vs. Dallas

Driver scored for the fourth time last week in a losing effort, and compiled totals of four catches and 71 receiving yards. It was the fifth time in his last seven games that he’s had 70 or more yards, and he has an excellent chance of extending that streak this week against the Cowboys. Dallas is 20th in the league in pass defense, and 22nd in passing scores allowed.
Point Projection: 12 points

17. Nate Burleson (Seattle Seahawks) @ Arizona

Burleson’s seven catches for 75 yards last week in Seattle’s win over the Lions marked the third time in four games he had at least six catches and 75 yards. He was also targeted nine times, and only two other players in the NFC, and five other players in the entire NFL, have more targets this season than Burleson’s 75.
Point Projection: 12 points

18. Anquan Boldin (Arizona Cardinals) vs. Seattle **CHECK INJURY STATUS**

Boldin publicly called out his coaches’ manhood after the Cardinals victory last week in Chicago, since he claims no one bothered to tell him he was going to be inactive after his pre-game warm-up went well. Either way, it’s a virtual certainty he’ll be on the field this week against the Seahawks, and he’ll want to play well the rest of the season as he auditions for new teams – all signs point to him having worn out his welcome in the desert.
Point Projection: 12 points

19. Mike Sims-Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars) @ New York Jets

Sims-Walker rebounded from his horridly disappointing Week 8 performance to catch six passes for nearly 150 yards and one touchdown last week against the Chiefs. It was his third 100-yard receiving game of the season, and fifth with at least 80 yards. He gets bumped down the rankings a few notches this week due to his match-up, however. The Jets are second in the NFL in pass defense, and only the Colts have given up fewer touchdowns through the air.
Point Projection: 11 points

20. Sidney Rice (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Detroit

After going off for two consecutive games, Rice had a relatively quiet day against the Packers before the Vikings’ bye week. Well, now that he’s nice and rested, it’s time for him to resume going off, and there’s no better foe to do so against than the Lions, who are second to last in both pass defense and passing touchdowns allowed. Not to mention the fact that Brett Favre frequently looks Rice’s way when nearing the goal line. Rice has been targeted in the red zone 10 times.
Point Projection: 11 points

21. Devin Hester (Chicago Bears) @ San Francisco

Hester has gone four consecutive games with at least six catches and 80 receiving yards, and though he’s scored just one touchdown in that time, you have to expect more to come his way considering how productive he’s otherwise been. His opponent this week, the 49ers, are not good against the pass, ranking 24th in the NFL in pass defense, and having allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to wideouts.
Point Projection: 11 points

22. Greg Jennings (Green Bay Packers) vs. Dallas

Jennings has just one 100-yard game and one touchdown after accomplishing both feats in Week 1 this season. His failure to reach those milestones included last week’s game against the Bucs, as Jennings hauled in five passes for just 61 yards. He should be producing at a higher rate than he currently is, but Donald Driver is the one making things happen. Still, it’s easy to imagine him having a very good game this week against a mediocre Dallas pass defense.
Point Projection: 11 points

23. Dwayne Bowe (Kansas City Chiefs) @ Oakland

Bowe had four catches for 74 yards in the Chiefs’ loss to the Jaguars last week, and it was the third time in his last four games that he had at least 70 receiving yards. Despite the fact that Chris Chambers was on the receiving end of two touchdowns in the contest last Sunday, don’t lose faith in Bowe, who still has four touchdowns in seven games this year.
Point Projection: 10 points

24. Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) vs. Chicago

Crabtree had his least productive game as a pro last week, with only three catches for 30 yards. Granted, it isn’t a large sample size, but it was still disappointing. This week, however, against a Bears team with a pass defense that has allowed more passing scores than all but three other teams, he’ll rebound in a big way.
Point Projection: 10 points

25. T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seattle Seahawks) @ Arizona

Houshmandzadeh scored his third touchdown of the season last week in Seattle’s victory over the Lions, and he has an opportunity to add to that total this week against the Cardinals. Arizona is just 29th in the NFL against the pass, and 24th in the league in passing touchdowns given up.
Point Projection: 10 points