Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

With the fantasy football season winding down we here at the Bruno Boys have decided to change things up a bit here in our “Cut Them Loose” article. This late in the season, the majority of your rosters are set as the fat’s been trimmed. Thus, rather than focus on what guys to release from your fantasy roster altogether, we felt it would be worth our time to discuss players that enter 2010 with questions surrounding them These are players that you are likely to draft but when doing so should limit your expectations.

Want to know which players you should think twice about drafting before your fantasy football league kicks off in 2010?  The Bruno Boys have you covered as we run through potential RED FLAG players in 2010 from the AFC .

Note: While looking for replacements for the below guys, be sure you check out the Fantasy Football Week 16 Waiver Wire - Pick Them Up article. And, remember you can always visit our FORUMS to get your questions answered about waiver wire candidates, players to drop or anything at all related to fantasy football.

AFC RED FLAG QUARTERBACKS IN 2010

Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals)

A talented signal caller, who will be in his prime at the age of 30 throughout the 2010 season, Palmer’s lack of play-makers on the outside and the Bengals commitment to the run game should be cause for concern next season. Outside of Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals roster is filled with secondary wide receivers who lack consistency and the ability to stretch the field. On top of that, the emergence of running back Cedric Benson, and signing of Larry Johnson, has transformed Cincinnati into a run first team. Through 14 games, Cincinnati has attempted 451 run plays to 433 pass plays and over the last four weeks the Bengals have ran the ball 53-percent of the time. With the Bengals sitting at 9-5 and enjoying their best season since 2005 don’t be surprised if head coach Marvin Lewis spends 2010 sticking with what works, the ground game. When targeting Palmer in 2010 fantasy football drafts make sure it’s as a back-up in 12-team leagues or as a QB2 in leagues that require you start two quarterbacks.

David Garrard (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Since taking over as the starting quarterback in Jacksonville in 2006, Garrard has always been a quarterback that does little to stand out but nothing to disappoint. Usually you can rely on the eighth year veteran to take care of the football and neither win or lose your fantasy football match-up but in 2009 that hasn’t been the case. Garrard has only been intercepted seven times on the season but his slippery hands have led to league high 13 fumbles (8 fumbles lost), making him a liability every time you insert him into your fantasy lineup. With the Jaguars favoring running back Maurice Jones-Drew in the red zone it has limited Garrard’s chances to throw touchdown passes (13 TD passes in 2009) and as running back Jones-Drew continues to mature into an every down option it’s likely Garrard’s window for opportunity gets even smaller in 2010. If head coach Jack Del Rio was smart he’d continue to increase the workload of his star running back because in games that Jones-Drew has touched the football 25+ times the Jaguars are 6-2 . Look for Garrard to enter next season as a game manager and not much else.

AFC Quarterbacks to Avoid in 2010: JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders), Bruce Gradkowski (Oakland Raiders), Brady Quinn (Cleveland Browns), Chad Henne (Miami Dolphins), Mark Sanchez (New York Jets)

AFC RED FLAG RUNNING BACKS IN 2010

LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers)

Drafted towards the end of the first round in 2009, Tomlinson has failed to put together the season that fantasy football owners had hoped for. After spraining his ankle in the season opener LT was forced to miss the Chargers’ next two games and when he returned in Week 4 he was never able to find his groove. On the season Tomlinson is averaging a career low 3.3 yards per carry and unless he runs for 330 yards over the next two weeks it will mark the first time this decade that the nine year pro hasn’t surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Odds are Tomlinson won’t reach this milestone because through 12 games he’s yet to break the century mark and has ran for 70 or more yards in a game just four times. If it weren’t for his double-digit touchdown totals (10 on the season) Tomlinson would have already been waiver wire fodder but his knack for finding the end zone has owners holding onto hope for more.  However, with the legs that made LT a fantasy football staple starting to diminish, the Chargers have turned into a pass first offense and entering 2010 you should draft Tomlinson as nothing more than a low-end RB2 in 12-team leagues.

Steve Slaton (Houston Texans)

After totaling 1,659 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie, high expectations, and a high fantasy draft pick, followed Slaton into 2009. Poor play and a season-ending nerve injury in his neck led the back to fall far short of those expectations. Before the injury Slaton was unable to get anything going on the ground averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and 39.7 rushing yards per game. These totals were significantly less than what made him such a successful player in 2008 but it wasn’t the second year running backs biggest problem. Putting the ball on the floor was. In 11 games, Slaton fumbled seven times, losing five, and after losing for the third consecutive game in Week 8 head coach Gary Kubiak decided to relieve him of his starting duties. From that point on (before missing Week 13 and being placed on Injured Reserve in Week 14) Slaton’s role in the Houston offense was unknown making him tough to insert into your fantasy lineup. Entering 2010 the dynamic running back is expected to be the starter in Houston but in order to be considered anything other than a low-end RB2 he must show serious improvement as an inside runner and learn how to take care of the football.

AFC Running Backs to Avoid in 2010: Jerome Harrison (Cleveland Browns), Jamal Lewis (Cleveland Browns) Justin Fargas (Oakland Raiders), Chris Brown (Houston Texans),Fred Taylor (New England Patriots), Sammy Morris (New England Patriots), LeRon McClain (Baltimore Ravens), LenDale White (Tennessee Titans)