Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Lane Rizzardini
- Edited by Marc Caviglia

Here it is, playoff time, the best time of any sporting season, even the fake kind. All the sleepless nights waiting for the waiver period to start, all the bantering back and forth for that perfect trade, all the work you’ve done has led you to this. At this point it’s just you and your roster as the waiver wire has likely been picked clean of reliable talent, but the savvy manager is always looking for that edge, that extra information that will make your roster decisions turn to gold.

Yup, we’re talkin’ fantasy football playoffs this week and from now on, so let’s get into it.

**Stat Note: the stat referred to as “Plays” is found by calculating (Carries + Targets)/Total Team Plays**

Running Backs Touches & Targets

	Players	Team	Plays	Carries	Carry%	Season Carry%	Targets	Receptions	Target%	Season Targets	Season Target %	RZ Plays
1	Arian Foster	HOU	35	31	70.50%	52%	4	3	16%	58	17%	7
2	Ray Rice	BAL	32	29	53%	61%	3	2	13%	82	19%	5
3	Toby Gerhart	MIN	29	21	70%	19%	8	8	17%	18	5%	2
4	Roy Helu	WAS	29	23	100%	35%	6	4	13%	51	11%	5
5	Maurice Jones-Drew	JAC	28	20	64.50%	67%	8	6	24%	44	12.50%	3
6	Shonn Greene	NYJ	26	22	73%	57%	4	3	12.50%	28	7%	7
7	Reggie Bush	MIA	24	22	50%	44%	2	0	8%	42	12%	3
8	Chris Johnson	TEN	24	23	74%	70%	1	1	4%	54	13%	3
9	LeSean McCoy	PHI	22	17	68%	63%	5	4	17%	59	14%	6
10	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	22	22	67%	63%	0	0	0%	31	8%	1
11	Beanie Wells	ARI	21	20	80%	69%	1	1	4%	11	3%	2
12	Frank Gore	SFO	21	21	62%	60.50%	0	0	0%	25	8%	6
13	C.J. Spiller	BUF	20	14	61%	17%	6	3	13%	15	3.50%	2
14	Willis McGahee	DEN	20	20	62.50%	46%	0	0	0%	17	5%	0
15	Maurice Morris	DET	19	12	54.50%	24%	7	5	16%	33	7%	4
16	Mark Ingram	NOS	17	16	69.50%	39.50%	1	0	3%	13	3%	1
17	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	16	14	36%	32%	2	2	9%	45	11%	2
18	Ahmad Bradshaw	NYG	16	11	55%	40%	5	2	12.50%	34	8%	3
19	Ricky Williams	BAL	16	16	29%	24%	0	0	0%	15	3.50%	2
20	Rashard Mendenhall	PIT	16	16	69.50%	52%	0	0	0%	22	5%	3
21	Michael Bush	OAK	16	10	71.50%	47%	6	3	15%	30	8%	0
22	Thomas Jones	KCC	16	16	43%	29%	0	0	0%	5	1%	1
23	Ryan Mathews	SDC	16	13	50%	52%	3	3	11%	47	10.50%	1
24	Marion Barber	CHI	15	14	58%	24%	1	0	4%	5	1%	3
25	Donald Brown	IND	15	14	45%	32%	1	1	3%	12	3%	4
26	Dexter McCluster	KCC	14	9	24%	24.50%	5	4	16%	47	13%	0
27	Joseph Addai	IND	14	13	42%	28%	1	1	3%	17	4%	3
28	Michael Turner	ATL	14	14	78%	69%	0	0	0%	18	4%	1
29	Ryan Grant	GBP	14	13	46.50%	30%	1	1	2%	13	3%	1
30	Peyton Hillis	CLE	14	12	70.50%	29%	2	1	5.50%	23	5%	1
31	Cedric Benson	CIN	13	13	59%	60%	0	0	0%	14	3.50%	3
32	LeGarrette Blount	TBB	13	11	41%	54%	2	0	7.50%	19	4%	0
33	Kevin Smith	DET	13	6	27%	12%	7	6	16%	16	3%	2
34	Daniel Thomas	MIA	13	13	29.50%	38%	0	0	0%	12	3%	0
35	DeMarco Murray	DAL	12	12	60%	51%	0	0	0%	34	8%	0
36	Brandon Saine	GBP	12	6	21.50%	2.50%	6	4	13%	7	2%	2
37	Steven Jackson	STL	11	10	43.50%	62%	1	1	4.50%	38	9%	0
38	DeAngelo Williams	CAR	11	11	28%	36%	0	0	0%	17	4%	2
39	Jackie Battle	KCC	11	11	30%	31%	0	0	0%	9	2.50%	2
40	Ben Tate	HOU	11	11	25%	32%	0	0	0%	10	3%	1

Running Back Notes:

1. With James Starks out with an ankle injury, Brandon Saine took on the second half of the Green Bay Packers rushing attack, recording 16 yards on six carries for a pitiful 2.7 yards per carry. He fared better in the passing game with 29 yards on four catches as the better passing back between he and Ryan Grant, but it is clear he is not ready for a big workload yet. Barring you’re in a very deep PPR league and in desperate need for a running back, Saine can be left on waivers for the playoff run, especially with Starks projected to come back Week 15.

2. Dexter McCluster appeared to have a great game Sunday, totaling 107 yards and a touchdown on 14 plays. If you watched the game though, you know the touchdown came on a fluky 38-yard Hail Mary pass at the end of the half, something that doesn’t exactly scream reliable value. Still, he flashed some excellent speed and acceleration as he was able to get into space multiple times, leading to an impressive 6.8 yards per carry average. He’s still too dicey to use in most leagues due to his three-way timeshare and limited experience, but he’s got talent that is worth watching for the future.

3. Kevin Smith was looking like a big contributor after his Week 11 explosion, but an ankle injury quickly derailed his surge, bringing Maurice Morris back into the picture. Smith still played in Week 13 and even scored a touchdown but fell to the ground in a heap untouched during the contest, leaving his status for Week 14 and the future unknown. Morris will likely be carrying the load the rest of the way and despite his deficiencies as a runner (2.3 yards per carry in Week 13) is useful in PPR leagues as a skilled pass catcher in a pass-happy offense.

4. LeGarrette Blount was considered a high-upside start leading up to Week 13 in his matchup against the Carolina Panthers woeful rush defense. He promptly fell on his face, totaling 19 yards on 11 carries as the Panthers stacked the box with Josh Johnson filling in for starter Josh Freeman. It’s not all Johnson’s fault though, as one problem with Blount from a fantasy perspective is his complete lack of ability in the passing game which always threatens to shut off his fantasy value should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fall behind early. This is something to be wary of when considering how to use Blount during the fantasy playoffs, but in Week 14 he should be safe as the terrible Jacksonville Jaguars offense doesn’t figure to be much of a threat to score a lot early, meaning Blount should stay involved in the offense all game.

5.  We’re tired of talking about the Washington Redskins offense, but at this point there aren’t a lot of uncertain rushing situations out there, and Mike Shanahan’s backfield decisions are always simultaneously the most frustrating and fascinating stories of the year. So here we are again, discussing whether Roy Helu’s recent 208 yard, two touchdown surge over the past two weeks is legit or not. Considering his play totals and that the only other guy receiving touches is former practice squad dummy Evan Royster you could assume this is a pretty safe situation but again, we’re talking about Mike Shanahan here. If you really need some upside to pull out a victory over the next few weeks go ahead and use him, but be warned you never know what Shanahan will do.

 
Wide Receivers Targets

	Players	Team	Targets	Receptions	Target%	Season Targets	Season Target %	RZ Plays
1	Roddy White	ATL	15	4	32%	127	29%	1
2	Devin Aromashodu	MIN	15	6	31%	54	14.50%	1
3	Dez Bryant	DAL	14	8	33%	81	19%	1
4	Greg Jennings	GBP	14	7	30%	88	21%	1
5	Hakeem Nicks	NYG	12	7	30%	97	22%	4
6	Santana Moss	WAS	12	5	26%	62	14%	3
7	Pierre Garcon	IND	12	9	32.50%	101	25%	3
8	Wes Welker	NEP	11	11	29%	127	28%	1
9	A.J. Green	CIN	11	6	37%	82	20%	2
10	Julio Jones	ATL	10	4	21%	61	14%	0
11	Brad Smith	BUF	10	7	22%	21	5%	0
12	Riley Cooper	PHI	10	5	34.50%	30	7%	0
13	Andre Johnson	HOU	9	4	36%	49	14%	0
14	Victor Cruz	NYG	9	7	22.50%	95	21.50%	1
15	Mike Williams	TBB	9	5	33%	107	24%	0
16	Percy Harvin	MIN	9	8	19%	76	20%	0
17	Dwayne Bowe	KCC	9	4	29%	109	29%	0
18	Nate Burleson	DET	8	5	18%	75	15%	1
19	Johnny Knox	CHI	8	5	33%	61	16%	0
20	Austin Collie	IND	8	7	22%	60	15%	0
21	Steve Johnson	BUF	8	5	17%	99	23.50%	2
22	Marques Colston	NOS	8	6	22%	70	14%	0
23	David Nelson	BUF	8	3	17%	76	18%	1
24	Darrius Heyward-Bey	OAK	8	3	19.50%	73	20%	1
25	Calvin Johnson	DET	8	6	18%	117	24%	1
26	Santonio Holmes	NYJ	8	4	25%	78	19%	0
27	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	7	4	28%	108	28%	0
28	Davone Bess	MIA	7	4	28%	69	19%	2
29	Brandon Gibson	STL	7	4	32%	66	15.50%	0
30	Damian Williams	TEN	7	4	28%	65	15.50%	0
31	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	7	4	47%	29	9%	0
32	Steve Breaston	KCC	7	5	22.50%	73	20%	1
33	Chaz Schilens	OAK	7	6	17%	28	7.50%	0
34	Austin Pettis	STL	7	3	32%	35	8%	0
35	Greg Little	CLE	7	3	19.50%	93	22%	1
36	Jarett Dillard	JAC	7	2	21%	29	8%	1
37	Robert Meachem	NOS	6	3	17%	47	9.50%	0
38	David Anderson	WAS	6	2	13%	12	3%	0
39	Reggie Wayne	IND	6	5	16%	96	24%	0
40	Steve Smith	CAR	6	2	27%	104	25%	0
41	Hines Ward	PIT	6	5	26%	51	12.50%	0
42	Deion Branch	NEP	6	3	16%	76	16.50%	0
43	Brandon Marshall	MIA	6	4	24%	106	30%	2
44	Mike Thomas	JAC	6	2	18%	81	23%	0
45	Plaxico Burress	NYJ	6	3	19%	80	20%	1
46	Laurent Robinson	DAL	6	4	14%	65	15%	0
47	Andre Roberts	ARI	6	6	24%	65	17%	0
48	Nate Washington	TEN	6	4	24%	79	19%	1
49	Early Doucet	ARI	6	2	24%	75	19%	1
50	Vincent Jackson	SDC	5	4	18%	88	20%	1

Wide Receiver Notes:

1. Demaryius Thomas appeared again on the fantasy radar with four catches on a team-high seven targets for 144 yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings. Thomas has been mired deep in the depth chart as of late but was able to showcase his skills with Eddie Royal out due to a neck injury, turning a short catch into a 41-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Despite the skills he is an extremely sketchy option in fantasy leagues due to the offense he plays in and should probably be avoided in most fantasy leagues.

2. Santana Moss is coming back to life after a hand injury that kept him out for a month. He led all Washington Redskins receivers with 12 targets and appears to be the team’s No. 1 target in the passing game once again. With tight end Fred Davis now suspended the rest of the season, he figures to be relied on heavily for the rest of the year, making him an intriguing WR3 option for fantasy owners looking for a more reliable option down the stretch.

3. Devin Aromashodu makes a surprise appearance at the top of the targets chart this week after seeing 15 balls thrown his way, which he converted into six catches for 90 yards. The former Chicago Bear and Indianapolis Colt has been inserted into the Minnesota Vikings lineup due to the season-ending injury to Michael Jenkins and will thus get a fair amount of snaps down the stretch. Still, he isn’t an attractive fantasy option due to his history as a journeyman and the limited experience of Christian Ponder.

4. Pierre Garcon flashed back into our lives after six weeks of mediocrity, posting nine receptions on 12 targets for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Most of his production came in the final three minutes of the game as the Indianapolis Colts fought to come back from a huge early deficit. He is an unattractive option due to his offense, but he has shown the potential to post big performances like this as Dan Orlovsky’s preferred target.

5. Robert Meachem randomly came up huge for any fantasy owners he has left, catching three balls on six targets for 119 yards and one touchdown. Before you run to the waiver wire for him, keep in mind he was averaging just 1.2 catches for 21.8 yards over the past six games. He is simply the forgotten man among the New Orleans Saints many receiving options and cannot be relied upon in any fantasy league.

Tight End Targets

	Players	Team	Targets	Receptions	Target%	Season Targets	Season Target %	RZ Plays
1	Fred Davis	WAS	13	6	28%	82	18%	1
2	Jermichael Finley	GBP	11	6	23.50%	67	16%	1
3	Jimmy Graham	NOS	10	8	28%	112	22.50%	1
4	Tony Gonzalez	ATL	10	7	21%	93	21%	1
5	Aaron Hernandez	NEP	9	7	24%	73	16%	1
6	Vernon Davis	SFO	8	5	32%	65	20%	0
7	Benjamin Watson	CLE	8	3	22%	68	16%	0
8	Jermaine Gresham	CIN	7	3	23%	68	17%	2
9	Visanthe Shiancoe	MIN	7	4	14.50%	61	16%	0
10	Antonio Gates	SDC	7	6	25%	66	15%	0
11	Jason Witten	DAL	6	5	14%	92	21%	0
12	Anthony Fasano	MIA	6	4	24%	34	9.50%	0
13	Dustin Keller	NYJ	6	3	19%	79	19.50%	1
14	Jake Ballard	NYG	6	3	15%	53	12%	0
15	Brandon Myers	OAK	6	3	15%	26	7%	0
16	Jacob Tamme	IND	6	5	16%	26	6.50%	1
17	Rob Gronkowski	NEP	6	5	16%	90	20%	2
18	Kevin Boss	OAK	5	1	12%	25	7%	0
19	Owen Daniels	HOU	5	3	20%	67	19.50%	0
20	Brandon Pettigrew	DET	5	2	11%	87	18%	0
21	Kellen Winslow	TBB	5	4	18.50%	93	21%	0
22	Greg Olsen	CAR	4	1	18%	79	19%	0
23	Tony Scheffler	DET	4	2	9%	30	6%	0
24	Scott Chandler	BUF	4	3	9%	41	10%	0
25	Brent Celek	PHI	4	3	14%	71	16.50%	1
26	Ed Dickson	BAL	4	3	17%	77	18%	1
27	Marcedes Lewis	JAC	4	3	12%	66	19%	0
28	Heath Miller	PIT	3	2	13%	56	14%	0
29	Evan Moore	CLE	3	2	8%	29	7%	1
30	Robert Housler	ARI	3	2	12%	20	5%	0

Tight Ends Touches & Targetss

1. Aaron Hernandez continues to be heavily targeted by Tom Brady, posting seven catches on nine targets this week against the Indianapolis Colts. With Rob Gronkowski absolutely tearing it up his fellow New England Patriots teammate at the tight end position is being wrongly forgotten about, as the former Florida Gator ranks eighth in receptions and total fantasy points among tight ends despite missing two games earlier in the year. He is still one of the best options out there especially in PPR and should not be underestimated when evaluating your roster decisions or your opponent’s roster in the playoffs.

2. Antonio Gates has been coming back into form the last few weeks, finally beginning to show signs that he is fully recovered from that foot injury that kept him out four games at the beginning of the year. He has totaled 29 fantasy points on 182 yards and two touchdowns since Week 11, looking sharper on routes and getting more separation from defenders. Considering he still ranks in the top-10 in fantasy points among tight ends despite all the time he missed, he should still be regarded as the lethal option he has always been and owners can start him with confidence as a high-end TE1 throughout the playoffs regardless of matchup.

3. As mentioned earlier, Fred Davis will miss the rest of the season for failing three drug tests for marijuana. This is a big blow to the Washington Redskins passing game and fantasy owners everywhere as he was the team’s top receiver and was showing huge strides as a legitimate pass-catching tight end in his fourth season out of USC. The team’s blocking tight end Logan Paulsen figures to take over as the team’s starter who in a best case scenario will be a poor man’s Heath Miller, occasionally productive but more often kept on the line to help pass block, limiting his value to the point where he can be ignored in fantasy leagues.