Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

We’ve arrived at the final week of the regular season in the NFL and the last week of competition in fantasy football leagues. Sure there are playoff challenges to be played (including one with the Bruno Boys), but for most teams, this is it. The Bruno Boys will continue through the playoffs with rankings for players at each position, but for one final week we’ve got a full set of rankings to help out your team.

Of course, fantasy football championships aside this should be a very exciting week in the NFL as there are still playoff spots to be determined in the AFC and seedings to be set in the NFC. This has created some interesting match-ups, but of course, it also means you need to be aware if the quarterback you own will play the entire game, just part of the game or sit the bench from kickoff by keeping track of the news coming in from around the NFL. As the previous sentence is of the utmost importance, let us repeat it in bold capital letters - YOU NEED TO BE AWARE IF THE QUARTERBACK YOU OWN WILL PLAY THE ENTIRE GAME, JUST PART OF THE GAME, OR SIT THE BENCH FROM KICKOFF BY KEEPING TRACK OF THE NEWS COMING IN FROM AROUND THE NFL.

While it’s easy to say thatIndianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning is a good bet to see a quick hook after the Colts chose to rest him despite their pursuit of perfection this past weekend, it’s a bit difficult this early in the week to determine what other teams around the league will do. To find out where the quarterbacks are ranked this week, just continue reading the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 17 Quarterback Rankings. But, remember to keep in mind that these rankings might change throughout the week as more and more information becomes available.

RANKINGS UPDATED AS OF 01/02/2010

1. Matt Schaub (Houston Texans) vs. New England

If the Houston Texans are to make the playoffs, it will be entirely on quarterback Matt Schaub’s shoulders. The last three weeks, he’s played well enough (1,018 yards passing, 5 TDs, and 3 turnovers) to help the Texans be in the position they’re in, and this week he’ll need to do the same. With both teams playing hard to win this game, it’s likely Schaub will get his fair share of points whether he helps lead the Texans to a win, or if he’s trying to come from behind for the victory. Either way, Schaub is a good play this week.
Point Projection: 18 Points

 

2. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Miami

It wasn’t always pretty in Week 16, but Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got the job done in leading the Steelers to a win over the Ravens to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Steelers will lean on Big Ben’s arm again this week against the Miami Dolphins - just as they’ve done all season. With four touchdowns and just one interception in the last two weeks, Roethlisberger is playing well, and that should be the case again this week against the Dolphins. When push comes to shove, Roethlisberger ups his game, which is why he’s in line for another good game this week against a Dolphins’ team that ranks 23rd against the pass.
Point Projection: 17 Points

3. Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) vs. New York Giants

There was a lot made of Minnesota Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress attempting to take Brett Favre out of the game two weeks ago, so it was a good thing for Favre’s owners to see him play the entire game Monday Night in an overtime loss to the Chicago Bears. In that loss, Favre threw for 321 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, which is good to see after the two sub-par performances the previous two weeks. This week, Favre will face the New York Giants at home, where he has played much better as compared to on the road this season. The No. 2 seed still needs to be clinched, and a win by Minny would do that. As such, expect a full 60 minutes of play from Favre on Sunday.
Point Projection: 17 Points

4. Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) @ Tampa Bay

Two weeks after returning from missing the better part of three games because of injury, Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan reminded us all of the great potential he’s got. This past week in a win over the Bills, he threw for 250 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions despite the fact that he was still dealing with turf toe. This week, Ryan has a great opportunity to finish out the season strong as he’ll play at Tampa Bay against a weak Buccaneers’ defense. Tampa Bay has improved its pass defense a bit in the second half of the season, but they still are 27th in the league in points allowed, meaning the opportunity for points is there.
Point Projection: 16 Points

5. Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) vs. Green Bay **CHECK ON PROJECTED PLAYING TIME**

Thanks to the Vikings Monday Night loss to the Chicago Bears, the Cardinals still hold some hope for the No. 2 seed in the NFC. However, that hope could be gone by the time this game gets set to kickoff, making Warner a risky play. Warner is coming of a 313-yard, two-touchdown performance last week in a win over the St. Louis Rams, but he’ll be going against a tougher defense this week. The Packers have only allowed 20 or more points in two of their last seven games, but did give up 37 points and 503 passing yards to Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers two weeks ago, so there is a vulnerability there. For those reasons, we like Warner as a good play this week if the Cardinals are still playing for something. If not, Warner’s value takes a huge hit as the team will look to rest their veteran signal caller.
Point Projection: 18 Points

6. Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) @ Oakland

The last two weeks have been a breath of fresh air for owners of Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco. In those two games, Flacco threw for a combined six touchdowns with just one interception. He should be able to finish out the season on a strong note, regardless of whether or not he leads the Ravens to the playoffs for the second year in a row, as he’ll be playing at Oakland against the Raiders this week. The Raiders gave up 23 points to the hapless Cleveland Browns last week, and they rank just 24th in the league in points allowed, making Flacco a good start this week.
Point Projection: 16 Points

7. Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers) @ St. Louis

Following two sub-par weeks, San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith rebounded last week with a good game as he threw for 230 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Detroit Lions. The 49ers are out of the playoffs but will still be motivated to play well against the St. Louis Rams this week in order to end their streak of losing seasons. St. Louis has a horrendous defense as the Rams are 24th in the league in passing yards allowed per game and 31st in points allowed per game. That means Smith will finish the season on a strong note and help his chances at being the quarterback in San Francisco next year.
Point Projection: 16 Points

8. Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) @ Dallas

Unlike some of the other top teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys both have something to play for this week. Both teams are in the playoffs, but whether that’s as a wild card or the division leader is still to be decided, meaning we’ll see quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo for the full game this week, which bodes well for their owners. The last time these two teams met back in Week 9, McNabb had his only single-digit game of the season, but since then he’s been on a roll, especially over the last three weeks (903 passing yards, 7 total TDs, 4 turnovers). Thus, we like McNabb for a strong performance this week.
Point Projection: 15 Points

9. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Philadelphia

Romo’s thrown just one interception in his last five games, so he has been playing well as of late, but we’ve been down this road many times before. Not only did Romo play poorly in a loss to the Eagles in the final week of the regular season last year, but he’s got a history of playing poorly late in the season and in the postseason as well. Since it’s at home in Dallas, we’ll give Romo the benefit of the doubt and project him for a double-digit game this week, albeit a low one. Romo owners should explore other options at quarterback this week if they can.
Point Projection: 15 Points

10. Vince Young (Tennessee Titans) @ Seattle

Tennessee Titans’ quarterback Vince Young did not play all that well last week against the Chargers, and to be honest we expected more. But, owners of Young should not fret because this week Young finds himself in a great match-up against the Seattle Seahawks. Over the last three weeks, the Seahawks have given up an average of 35.3 points per game, including 48 last week in a loss to the Packers. Though it is a favorable match-up, we can’t project anything higher than 14 points for Young because it’s likely the Titans will do most of their work on the ground with running bach Chris Johnson.
Point Projection: 14 Points

11. Eli Manning (New York Giants) @ Minnesota

The Giants and quarterback Eli Manning played very poorly this past weekend in a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. Manning had one touchdown, two interceptions and three fumbles in that game. We expect a slight rebound this week for Manning against the Minnesota Vikings because the New York offense has been playing well recently, aside from last week’s debacle. However, given the performance last week there is some potential for a poor game here from Manning, so tread lightly if you decide to start him.
Point Projection: 14 Points

12. Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears) @ Detroit

For as poorly as he’s played this season, Chicago Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler certainly looked good on Monday Night in the overtime win over the Vikings. Well, at least his stats did. Cutler threw for 273 yards with four touchdowns and one interception, but for those that saw the game, we saw the same old Cutler. A lot of his throws were off, and a lot were forced into coverage. Though he only had one pick, there were at least five more passes that easily could have been intercepted. That’s why, even though he has a good match-up this week against the Detroit Lions, we’re projecting him for just 14 points.
Point Projection: 14 Points

13. Kyle Orton (Denver Broncos) vs. Kansas City

Though he’s been flying under the radar, Denver Broncos’ quarterback Kyle Orton has really been playing well the last three weeks. In his last three games, he’s had six touchdowns with just two picks in posting three consecutive double-digit games. He’ll continue that trend this week against the Kansas City Chiefs, which is a very favorable match-up for Orton. Disregard his performance in week 13, when Orton threw for 180 yards with two touchdowns but also had three turnovers against the Chiefs. Playing at home this week, Orton will rebound for a solid double-digit game.
Point Projection: 14 Points

14. Tom Brady (New England Patriots) @ Houston **CHECK ON PROJECTED PLAYING TIME**

The New England Patriots already have a playoff spot locked up as they head to Houston for their match-up with the Texans. As such, Brian Hoyer may eventually take over at quarterback, but as of now, Tom Brady has expressed his desire to keep the momentum the Pats built in Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars going. He should play through at least the first half, and more than likely into the third quarter, which will give him plenty of time to generate points. Of course, it helps that Brady enters the game playing well as he threw for 267 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions last week in the team’s win over the Jags. The Texans have just a middle-of-the-road defense as they’re 17th in the league in passing yards allowed per game, which is why Brady could be worth the gamble if you are faced with less than desirable back-up plans..
Point Projection: 13 Points

15. Chad Henne (Miami Dolphins) vs. Pittsburgh

Miami quarterback Chad Henne has now posted four consecutive double-digit fantasy football performances, which is impressive considering that he is a first-year starter. It’s clear Henne is emerging as the quarterback of the future for the Dolphins. The problem for Miami is their running backs are banged up, meaning any chance at a win will mostly have to be done through the air. Henne should do OK this week, but don’t expect too much more than a low double-digit game as there’s a good chance with so much riding on his arm, Henne throws a couple of interceptions.
Point Projection: 13 Points

16. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) @ Arizona **CHECK ON PROJECTED PLAYING TIME**

Unfortunately for his owners, Rodgers, who has been the best fantasy QB this season, will be less than his stellar stuff this week. With the Packers playing for little, look for them to rest Rodgers as much as possible. After all, the QB did take a nice beating over the course of the season. At most, fantasy owners should expect four series of play out of the QB. While he can still turn those series into double digit fantasy points, anything more than low double digits would be a gift.
Point Projection: 12 Points