Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

—Written by:Cory Steger
—Edited by: Allie Fontana

Each week Bruno Boys senior staff writer Cory Steger  takes a look at five players who delivered fantasy results substantially beyond their projected rankings and point totals. A player has to exceed his weekly point projection total by seven or more fantasy points to be considered a “Phenoms” candidate. The Fantasy 5:Week 2 Phenoms article includes a few names that just might surprise you. It’s not easy to narrow the list down to just five players, so you’ll find additional players who contributed phenomenal performances in our Fantasy Phenoms Week 2 Roundup.—Allie Fontana

Week 2 of the 2011 NFL season is already behind us and after just two weeks of regular season play, there have been a record number of touchdowns (172) and 1,502 combined points. Quarterbacks have also set an opening two-week record of 15,771passing yards thanks to phenomenal performances by veteran signal callers like New England Patriots’ Tom Brady, who leads the league with 940 yards and seven touchdowns. Carolina Panthers rookie Cam Newton has 854 yards in the air and three touchdowns during that same period. Beyond the quarterbacks, there are players on both sides of the ball whose weekly performance can mean the difference between winning and losing a fantasy football matchup.

 

 

1. Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals)
Bruno Boys Week 2 Projection—Rank: No. 32; Points: 7
Week 2 Actual: Rank: No. 9; Points: 21

Generally speaking, rookie quarterbacks aren’t expected to play well enough to be relevant fantasy factors early in the regular season. Tell that to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton , who like Cam Newton, didn’t get the memo. Dalton led an admirable Cincinnati comeback effort that came up just short in a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos last Sunday. Dalton completed 27-of-41 passes for 332 yards with two touchdowns. His stats would’ve been even better had his receivers and tight ends dropped fewer passes. Dalton played well in a tough road game, didn’t turn over the ball and took just two sacks. He’s also interception free in two starts. While you can’t rely on Dalton as a fantasy starter just yet, his poised and confident performance in Week 2 reaffirmed that he’s an excellent fit for the Bengals newly installed West Coast offense.

2. Jason Campbell (Oakland Raiders)
Bruno Boys Week 1 Projection—Rank: No. 26; Points: 11
Week 2 Actual: Rank: No. 4; Points: 24

Yes, you read it correctly. Oakland Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell made the cut for this week’s Fantasy Five: Phenoms article for what was perhaps his signature performance as a Raider. The Buffalo Bills successfully shut down the Oakland’s run game in the second half, forcing Campbell to pick up the slack. He completed 14-of-19 passes for 196 yard after halftime, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Darren McFadden and then a 50-yard bomb to rookie sensation Denarius Moore.  Campbell finished the day 23-of-33 for 323 yards with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score. His lone interception was a 56-yard Hail Mary pass to Moore just as time expired. Buffalo’s Da’Norris Searcy outmaneuvered Moore for the ball in the end zone and the Bills came away with a 38-35 win.  Throwing for 300-plus yards is something that Campbell accomplished just twice last season. He was decisive throwing the ball, something which eluded him in the past. While it would be easy to point to his opponent and minimize his Week 2 success, we give credit where credit is due, and this week Campbell deserves it for a superb effort.

 

3. Fred Jackson (Buffalo Bills)
Bruno Boys Week 1 Projection—Rank: No. 20; Points: 12
Week 2 Actual: Rank: No. 2; Points: 25

Be honest. When you saw the Week 2 matchup between the Oakland Raiders and theBuffalo Bills, your eyes didn’t exactly light up at the prospect of all the fantasy football possibilities, did they? As it turned out, the game was one of the most exciting ones to watch and there were a number of standout performances. One of them came from veteran Buffalo running back Fred Jackson , who rushed 15 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns and also caught two passes for 23 yards. Jackson didn’t even need to touch the ball 20 times to post one of the most productive performances of Week 2.  That’s baller. You know what else is baller? Jackson leads the league in rushing yards after two weeks.

 

4. Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles)
Bruno Boys Week 1 Projection—Rank: No. 22; Points: 10
Week 2 Actual: Rank: No. 3; Points: 29

Talk about a bounce back. After making our preliminary list of Fantasy Five Flop candidates in Week 1 with his one catch , Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin delivered in a big way for his fantasy owners on Sunday. The Eagles needed someone to step up and Maclin answered the call, catching 13 balls for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Not only did Maclin have one of the best games of his young career, his phenomenal performance quieted concerns among the fantasy community that his offseason health scare had impacted his on-field abilities. Fantasy owners should feel confident starting Maclin in Week 3. He caught seven balls for 59 yards and two touchdowns the last time the two teams met. 

 

5. Eric Decker (Denver Broncos)
Bruno Boys Week 1 Projection—Rank: No. 52; Points: 5
Week 2 Actual: Rank: No. 5; Points: 21

Injuries to starters Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal set the stage for Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker  to have a coming out party of sorts in Week 2. Those of us who watched the game saw Decker haul in five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns as Kyle Orton’s go-to guy. One of Decker’s receptions was an impressive 52-yarder in which he beat Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Nate Clements in coverage, then watched as Clements and safety Chris Crocker collided into each other before he strolled into the end zone. Decker was Denver’s 2010 third-round draft pick out of Minnesota. His senior season had been cut short by a foot injury that required surgery. He’s fully healthy now and has great chemistry with Orton. This dude can flat out play and he’ll get the opportunity to prove it in his second year in the NFL. Don’t sleep on him.

 

Week 2 Phenoms Roundup: Danario Alexander (St. Louis Rams), Miles Austin (Dallas Cowboys),  Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons), A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals), Ryan Mathews (San Diego Chargers), Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers), Adam Vinatieri (Indianapolis Colts)