Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

WIDE RECEIVER - DUDS

Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) –There are generally a few games like this for Andre Johnson a season, but they are generally pretty far between.  Johnson wasn’t shut out of the game with six catches for 65 yards, but he had a very high projection for this week.  Johnson was the highest rated wide receiver coming into the game with an 18 point outlook, but only scored a third of that with just six.

Hallam’s Take: Johnson was giant again as he surpassed 100 catches for the third straight season in which he was healthy, and had over 1,500 receiving yards for the second year in a row.  You would still love to see Johnson get a few more touchdowns, but he still should be one of the first receivers off the board in 2010, and could possibly be a late first or early second round pick.

Greg Jennings (Green Bay Packers) – It was just another day in the life of a Greg Jennings in 2009, and unfortunately for them, that is not a good thing.  Jennings has not made many people happy this year as he has had plenty of games where he didn’t score well, and by the time he did have a good game, he was often on the bench.  In the last game of 2009, Jennings had just three catches for 29 yards and didn’t score a touchdown again.  He was looked upon to score 14 points, but yet again, didn’t even approach that with just two on the day.

Hallam’s Take: I was super high on Jennings coming into the season and even picked him as my WR1 on more than one of my teams.  Although he was able to get more than 1,100 receiving yards, Jennings was a giant disappointment with under 70 catches and just four scores.  With the way the Packers sling the ball around, it is inexcusable for him to have so few touchdowns.  Jennings is still a great receiver to have in 2010 with his good chance of bouncing back in the scoring category.  He will be drafted as a late WR2, but should exceed that value.

DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles) – Jackson has had a very good season, but his team just never got going and he was never really in the game.  Jackson had just three catches for 47 yards on the afternoon.  It seemed realistic to expect him to score the 15 points that he was predicted for, but it was impossible to expect his team to lay such an egg as Jackson was only able to score four.

Hallam’s Take: I usually take on a few new man crushes throughout the football season, and DeSean Jackson certainly qualifies in that category this year.  I knew he was good before this season, but it his ability to change the game (or your fantasy football matchup) with the big play that makes him an interesting guy to own.  As long as your score is close, you are never out of it with DJAX in the game.  He is another top notch wide out for next season, and should be able to break double digits in touchdowns in 2010.

TIGHT END - DUDS

Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons) – The Falcons didn’t need much offense to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17, and they certainly didn’t really focus on Tony Gonzalez very much.  The big tight end was only able to haul in three passes for just 30 yards.  Gonzalez was supposed to score the fourth most points at his position with 11 fantasy points, but his numbers made him a dud as he scored just three points.

Hallam’s Take: I think that Gonzalez’s down season was a direct result of the injuries to Matt Ryan and Michael Turner.  The Falcons offense sputtered over those weeks and definitely didn’t help Gonzalez out in the fantasy stats.  The tight end position will perhaps be deeper than it ever has been, so don’t reach for Gonzalez too soon. Still, he is one of the best four to six at his position.

KICKER - DUDS

David Akers (Philadelphia Eagles) – When your team gets shut out it makes it really tough as a kicker to have a positive effect on the football game.  Akers only got on the field twice in Week 17, and once was to kick the ball off.  He also missed his only field goal attempt and obviously did not attempt an extra point.  Akers was projected for 11 points, but sadly tallied the ole’ goose egg.

Hallam’s Take: Akers is officially my favorite fantasy football kicker because he never has a game like this where he is just completely taken out of the game.  He is ultra accurate and has the leg to boot field goals over 50 yards on a regular basis.  He should be one of the first few kickers off the board, but I still always wait until the last round to pick my kicker.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS – DUDS

Denver Broncos D/ST (5 stars) – What a colossal disaster for Denver in a game that they absolutely had to win.  With the playoffs on the line the Broncos gave up a whopping 44 points at home to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs and they were eliminated from playoff contention.  Not only did they give up a ton of points, but they got just two interceptions and failed to record a sack or pick up a fumble.  They were a five star start this week figuring they would be inspired to beat the tar out of the Chiefs, but certainly came through with a one star effort.

Hallam’s Take:  Considering the way it started, the season was certainly a disappointing end for the Broncos, but I find it hard to blame the defense for this.  Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan had his group playing at a high level for most of the season, and Elvis Dumervil became a feared pass rusher.  And when you have Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins, and Andre Goodman in the secondary, it’s usually tough to score points on the Broncos…just not for the Chiefs in Week 17. 

Wild Card Round Rankings:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  | DEF  (click to read)

Wild Card Start & Sit:  START ‘EM  |  SIT ‘EM  (click to read)

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