Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

With many of you out there in Bruno Boys Nation looking to continue your run at a fantasy championship, we want to make sure you enter Sunday knowing what players we feel you should play with caution. Obviously it’s your team and your gut, so you are the final decision makers, but if these guys fail to get the job done for your fantasy squad don’t say the Bruno Boys didn’t tell you so.  With that being said the Bruno Boys present the Fantasy Football Week 15 Sit Ems.

QUARTERBACKS – SIT ‘EM

Chris Redman (Atlanta Falcons) @ New York Jets

Redman has been a worthy option since filling in for quarterback Matt Ryan the past three weeks. He has averaged 260 yards passing per game to go with 4 touchdowns versus 3 interceptions. However, in week 15, he faces the defensive buzz saw that is the New York Jets’ defense. The Jets allow the least fantasy points to QBs in the NFL (6.7 per game), and have only given up 8 TDs (7 passing) to those QBs through 13 games. If you’re looking for a spot starter (or you’re in a 2 QB league), look elsewhere for this weekend.

Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) @ Carolina

Favre has been as good as ever in 2009, which is amazing considering the fact that quarterbacks don’t typically play into their 40’s. His match-up this week is the Carolina Panthers, a team that has allowed the 4th fewest points to fantasy QBs at 9.5 per game. Even more of a testament to their defense is that they shut Tom Brady down to the tune of 192 passing yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT in their week 14 match-up. If you’re good with those numbers during the playoffs, then by all means start Favre, but we don’t think too highly of his chances this weekend, especially since the Vikings will look to hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson often as the Panthers’ rush defense is nothing to write home about, ranking 26th in the league.

Potential Bust of the Week:

Tom Brady (New England Patriots) @ Buffalo

As we always say at the Bruno Boys, you have to go with your gut instinct. When it comes to a playoff match-up for you, there aren’t too many quarterbacks that can be as consistent as Tom Brady. But the facts are that Brady has just been mediocre the past three weeks, averaging 260 yards passing per game with 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Granted, two of those games were against top-5 pass defenses, but from Tom Brady, we expect more even against the best. He is facing a Buffalo Bills’ defense that is 2nd in limiting the QB position in fantasy points, allowing 7.4 points per game (10 TDs : 23 INTs). Although the Bills haven’t faced the greatest QB competition (just 3 QBs in the top-10), those three averaged 272 yards passing per game, but only managed 2 TDs and 3 INTs (Brady, Brees, Schaub).

RUNNING BACKS – SIT ‘EM

DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers) vs. Minnesota

Some may like the Williams this week purely because fellow running back Jonathan Stewart may not go on Sunday. The facts prove that no matter which RB goes against the Vikings defense, though, most don’t succeed. Stud RB Steven Jackson had 84 rushing yards with a fumble, Rashard Mendenhall had 69 yards and a fumble, Ryan Grant had 30 rushing yards, and Cedric Benson had 96 yards. In fact, the only top RB to do well against the Vikings this season was Ray Rice, who posted a 30-point game in week six (77 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 117 receiving). Go with the statistics if you have some good match-ups on the bench, because DeAngelo could be in for a rough Sunday evening.

Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Green Bay

Mendenhall has been an impressive running back this season rushing for 940 yards with 6 touchdowns (1 receiving) in his real “rookie” season. But, after getting shut down (6 fantasy points to the 31st ranked rushing defense) on Thursday Night Football by the Cleveland Browns of all teams, our expectations are slightly lowered. He now has the task of facing the Green Bay Packers and their 2nd ranked rush defense that allows just over 10 fantasy points per game to the RB position. Two weeks ago, the same Packers defense held Ray Rice to 54 rushing yards with a fumble, so Mendenhall’s stock is low for this weekend.

Ryan Grant (Green Bay Packers) @ Pittsburgh

Much like Mendenhall, Ryan Grant faces a defense that ranks in the top-3 against the run, allowing just 12.2 fantasy points per game to the running back position. The Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed the least fantasy yards to opposing running backs with 875 yards against, for a mere 67 yards per game average. The numbers don’t match up for Grant to have a day like he did against the Chicago Bears’ defense in week 14, when he ran for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns. If you’re expecting a game like that against the Steelers defense, forget it and keep your expectations tempered.