Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

We’ve all been there. You hold a guy on your roster week after week, watching precious free agents land on other teams. You keep waiting for your player to break out. Maybe you think he’s got too much talent and potential or maybe you think he’s just had a tough schedule. Regardless of whether any of these things are true, the fact is sometimes we keep bad fantasy football players for way too long. By the time you realize they’re not going to produce for your team, it may be way too late. You could end up out of playoff contention and your season could be over. It’s under-performing players like these, serious injuries and negative off-the-field incidents that can drag a fantasy team down. That’s why the Bruno Boys will be with you all season long to give you advice on the players to cut and the players you might want to start thinking about letting go.

WEEK 1

Week 1 shed some light on players that were expected to do well and also on some players that weren’t. With week 2 nearing its end, it’s important to remember that the season has just begun. Unless an injury has knocked out a player for a significant amount of time or you have much better options on your waiver wire, the Bruno Boys advice is to give players with upside a little more time to prove themselves before you cut them loose. That being said, here are some guys that you should monitor closely going into week 3.

Note: While you are watching to see if these players can redeem themselves, you should be checking out the Bruno Boys’ article, Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire - Pick Them Up so you can start planning on whom to pick up to replace them. 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.

QUARTERBACKS—CUT THEM LOOSE

Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers)

No, Jake Delhomme did not throw 5 interceptions again in week 2, just 1. He actually had an OK day considering his last few outings. Against the Falcons in week 2, Delhomme completed 25 of 41 passes for 308 yards and a TD.

Delhomme, though, is not off the hook, especially since he still can’t go a game without throwing a pick. However, he’s proven in the past that he can be a decent fantasy QB, so if you have the space see how he does next Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys before you make a decision to cut him.

Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins)

Chad Pennington threw for 176 yards a TD and an interception against the Falcons in week 1. While he could have done worse, the Dolphins offense looked pretty rough. As the Bruno Boys mentioned last week, there are 2 young QBs on the Dolphins with lots of potential who could get the nod to take over as soon as week 5, which causes Pennington’s value to be called into question.

Wait to see if Pennington and the Dolphins can bounce back Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts. But, if he and the offense have another bad showing, you may want to start packing his bags and start looking for other options.

JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders)

This could be a make or break year for the disappointing JaMarcus Russell. In week 1, he was fairly unimpressive with only 1 TD, 208 yards and 2 interceptions. Week 2 was even worse. Despite a win against the Kansas City Chiefs, Russell was 7 of 24 for 109 yards and 0 TDs.

Right now, it looks like Russell is far from becoming the kind of QB the Raiders envisioned when they spent the first pick on him in 2007. If you have space, you may want to see if the Raiders’ offense starts to click, but all signs point to Russell having no business being on your roster this season, unless you are desperate.

RUNNING BACKS—CUT THEM LOOSE

Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers)

After only 4 rushes for 6 yards in week 1, Mendenhall had a better performance against the Chicago Bears’ defense in week 2. However, it wasn’t good enough to keep Mendenhall out of this article. He rushed 3 times for 39 yards and caught 1 pass for 13 yards.

While Mendenhall’s performance shows flashes of the kind of talent that made him a first round pick in 2008, the jury is still out on the second year back. Until the coaches show more confidence in his ability and until he sees the field more, keep him monitored week to week. You don’t want to waste a roster spot all season long waiting for him to become a consistent fantasy back if that’s a year away. If he gets more playing time in week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, he could take his game to the next level and become a much more valuable player to have in your lineup.

Justin Fargas (Oakland Raiders)

Justin Fargas didn’t see the field again in week 2 while Darren McFadden and Michael Bush had fairly unimpressive games. If Fargas returns in week 3 and outperforms the other two backs, you’ll want to keep him as a third option running back, but chances are with Bush and McFadden hogging the carries, Fargas may not be worth a spot. Still, it’s not inconceivable that Fargas becomes the most consistent back so wait a few weeks before you cut him.

Laurence Maroney (New England Patriots)

After being one of last season’s biggest busts, Laurence Maroney is out to prove 2008 was a fluke. Unfortunately, his last two games have not been very convincing. In week 1 against Buffalo, he only rushed for 32 yards, and this Sunday against the Jets, the Patriots only ran Maroney 6 times for 23 yards.

Maroney has a lot of upside if he could somehow return to the kind of fantasy back he was in 2007. Problem is, the Patriots just don’t look the same, and Belichick may have totally lost confidence in Maroney. He could still end up putting up good numbers, so give him a little wiggle room as the Patriots try to rediscover their offense, but in a few weeks, if he lacks of chances and poor play continues, he may have overstayed his welcome on your roster.