Fantasy Football: 5 Things I Learned in June

With June coming to an end, Bruno Boys Dominic takes a look at five things he learned throughout the month, so join him as he covers everything from Chad Ochocinco’s rejuvenation to the naming of RBBCs.

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1. Ocho Cinco is still muy funny   

I’ll admit, I didn’t think Chad would ever return to my good graces after the last couple of seasons of whining and under-producing.

However, it seems the 31-year-old wide receiver has helped himself to a slice or two of humble pie in the offseason, giving him new perspective (if anyone knows the cook, send a few slices to Brandon Marshall please).

Now, a new and improved Ocho Cinco is poised to rejoin the ranks of the fantasy relevant. And, as always, he’s done so in style. First, he told the world he was going to live with Carson Palmer and his family for a couple of weeks to develop a closer relationship with the QB—a gesture quickly shot down by Palmer’s wife.

Then, Johnson delighted us again with his flair for the dramatic by proclaiming he wanted to beat the Nutrisystem out of Mike Golic for making negative comments about him.

Of course, what’s important about all of this is not that Chad is cracking me up again (though it certainly doesn’t hurt). Rather, it’s that he appears to be 100% dedicated to returning to his status as one of the league’s most productive receivers. That makes him a prime candidate for a huge year, and someone you should definitely target in your upcoming draft.

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2. Roger Goodell has his own laws

He’s set a precedent, I’ll give him that. In fact, anytime I hear about one of my fantasy players going to meet with the commish, I cringe.

Goodell’s made it crystal clear that he won’t stand for any action made by a coach, team, or player which reflects negatively on the league. Donte Stallworth’s DUI manslaughter sentence appalled most of us—and, when compared with Michael Vick’s, it seems like US law cares more about dogs than jaywalkers.

However, Goodell handed out his own justice, suspending Stallworth indefinitely and sending him a strongly worded letter that pretty much said, “I don’t care what punishment the courts give you, it will not fly in the NFL.”

Fantasy-wise, Stallworth is fairly useless this season—or was he already? Regardless, if your players are set for trial or have a tendency to commit small- to mid-range felonies in their spare time, make sure you snag their backup, or avoid them altogether.

When drafting future players, keep a keen eye on their history and character issues, as Goodell isn’t going anywhere, and neither is your fantasy player if they can’t keep out of trouble.

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3. Never make a fantasy football trade at a wedding with an open bar

Do I really need to elaborate on this one?

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4. For some reason, people love to name RBBCs
 
“Earth, Wind, and Fire”. “Smash and Dash”. And, most recently voted in by Raider’s fans, “Shake, Rattle, and Roll”. It seems that if a team has more than one back running the ball successfully, the committee is bound to get a name.

However, like identical twins whose parents tragically dress them in the same clothes, some players crave individuality and don’t want a name that is linked with someone else.

Whether or not Chris Johnson will suffer the shared glory of Smash and Dash is not the point—what matters in the world of fantasy is that if they’ve earned a name, it usually means you want all of them on your roster.

Unless of course, they’ve earned a name that’s not so flattering (like my running back team last season—”Battered, Bruised and Broken”).

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5. If you trade for Brandon Marshal, buy your antacids in bulk

When I realized an owner in my fantasy keeper league was clearly fed up with Brandon Marshall and his off the field issues, I made my move. He agreed to give me Marshall for a mere 3rd round pick in our upcoming draft. That’s not bad for arguably one of the top ten receivers in the league.

Unfortunately, he also carries enough baggage to keep La Guardia airport busy for days. So, I admit it—there’s a risk, not to mention a possible 2-3 game suspension. It’s a keeper league though, no biggie. And, call me stupid, but I held high hopes that he would mature into the man he claims he wants to be and stop getting into fights with his lady friends.

Of course, days after I traded for him, he decided to use the leverage he had (none) to demand more money. Soon after that, the trade request came in.

For an instant, I was excited at his possible new destinations, until logic sunk in. Not only was he probably not going anywhere, his antics may have harmed his relationship between him and his QB and coach. The lesson: trading for troubled studs can be a great investment, but remember that the investment can go both ways.

In other words, if you take a diva, you get a diva.

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Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Roundtable: AFC North Edition

It’s already late June, which means time to really start gearing up for the fast-approaching 2009 fantasy football season.

Over here at Bruno Boys headquarters that means discussions of events happening around the NFL are in full-force. Today, Bruno Boys Larry and Bruno Boys Ziza are breaking down the AFC North.

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AFC North Burning Questions!

1. With all of the injury concerns revolving around Carson Palmer, not to mention downgrading from T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Laveraneus Coles at the wide receiver postion, what type of year do you expect from the quarterback?

 

Bruno Boys Ziza:  Larry, the most important thing at this point is to make sure that Carson Palmer remains healthy. According to reports, Palmer is gaining strength and has rediscovered the zip on his passes. If he continues to progress like that until training camp, he will be a very solid quarterback; one that you can trust as a QB1 option in deeper leagues.

 

He definitely still has some legitimate talent around him, headlined by star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. He should be just fine.

 

Bruno Boys Larry: Ziza, you couldn’t be more right. The most important thing will be making sure that Carson Palmer remains healthy in 2009, but if he does (and I believe he will) I look for Palmer to return to form quickly.

 

This is a quarterback who heading into last season had three consecutive seasons with over 3,800 passing yards with at least 26 touchdowns in each season. As you said, Ziza, he is progressing well and he should be ready to start training camp on time. Barring any setbacks, Palmer could vault back into the top ten in quarterbacks in 2009.

 

 

 

2. After a pretty successful 2007 season as a group, the Cleveland Browns offense completely flopped in 2008. During the offseason, they traded tight end Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What do you see from the offense this season?

 

Bruno Boys Larry:  I have to say there was not a more disappointing team to me in 2008 than the Cleveland Browns and, Ziza, that includes our beloved Detroit Lions who went 0-16.

 

The Lions did not have high expectations heading into last season, but after finishing 10-6 in 2007 expectations were soaring for the Browns. They finished the season 4-12 and were just plain awful at times.

 

Their offense which exploded in 2007 went stagnant last season. And what might be even more puzzling is what this team did in the offseason: After bringing in a new coaching staff with Eric Mangini at the helm, they trade one of their best offensive players in tight end in Kellen Winslow.

 

I have to say I am completely baffled by this team, and I do not have high expectations for any of the Browns players from a fantasy football standpoint for 2009.

 

Bruno Boys Ziza:  In all honesty, this offense went through a horrible funk last season and is entering 2009 having traded away their star tight end in Kellen Winslow and is still willing to trade Braylon Edwards if they get the right package deal for him. That is not encouraging considering that their running back Jamal Lewis is getting older.

 

I don’t see much that is positive to elaborate on, but I do see plenty of negative. That is why I would not touch any of the Cleveland Browns this year.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football Preferences – AFC North (Based on 12 team, standard scoring leagues)

 

1. Ray Rice vs. Willis McGahee vs. LeRon McClain

Bruno Boys Larry:  RICE. The easy answer would be to go with the veteran McGahee here or even McClain who was the team’s best back in 2008, but I believe when all is said and done, it will be the second-year man Rice who this team will rely on at running back.

 

McClain is expected to be used more as a fullback this season and Rice is younger and faster than McGahee and, I believe, better suited to be the team’s primary back.

 

The only drawback with Rice is the fact that McClain and McGahee will likely see the bulk of short yardage and goal line situations, which may limit Ray’s touchdowns.

 

Bruno Boys Ziza: RICE. All three of these backs have talent and, in a way, all three will be stealing carries from one another this season. But if it were to come down to one back that I would like to have off of this roster, it would most definitely be Ray Rice.

 

According to his offensive coordinator, Rice has improved all over the board. Further more, he is entering his second season, meaning he has had the opportunity to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. I, for one, believe Rice is going to have an excellent 2009 campaign.

 

2. Willie Parker vs. Jamal Lewis

Bruno Boys Ziza: PARKER. It isn’t that I am blown away by Willie Parker’s talent as he has not lived up to the expectations that were bestowed on him after a great start to his career. But, Parker is still young enough to make an impact whereas Jamal Lewis is getting older and is definitely on the downturn of his career.

 

Even with Rashard Mendenhall getting some of the playing time this year, Parker should produce adequately enough to be a solid RB3 option in deeper leagues.

 

Bruno Boys Larry:  PARKER. This wasn’t even close for me. Sure, Lewis actually had more yardage than Parker in 2008, but fast Willie did miss five games due to injury.

 

Lewis turns 30 this season and appears to be heading to the downside of his career. Plus, Lewis plays for the Browns who, compared to the Steelers, are offensively challenged. If Parker can stay healthy this season, he should improve on his yardage totals.

 

The addition of Rashard Mendenhall, who missed most of his rookie season with injuries, should help keep some of the wear and tear off of Parker’s 29-year-old body.

 

 

3. Pittsburgh DEF vs. Baltimore DEF

Bruno Boys Ziza: PITTSBURGH. There is a mixture of solid veterans with younger players in Pittsbugh that I just love. Honestly, though, both defenses are great and both team’s deploy a solid ground attack, which only helps keep opposing offenses off of the field.

 

You really can’t go wrong with either as I like them both pretty evenly. But when it comes down to it, I would put the Pittsburgh Steelers defense under my name during draft day. Expect big things from both defenses, though, this year.

 

Bruno Boys Larry: PITTSBURGH. This was another easy choice for me, Ziza. The Steelers did not lose much from the dominant defense that helped lead them to the Super Bowl in 2008. The Ravens, also, had a dominant defense in 2008, but they had some significant losses during the offseason.

 

The most notable losses for the Ravens were linebacker Bart Scott and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. Both Scott and Ryan were key cogs in the Ravens defensive machine in 2008, and I believe they will be greatly missed this season. The Steelers, on the other hand, will likely finish the season as a top three defense once again.

 

Bruno Boys’ Quick Hits (Opinions Delivered Harder than Ray Lewis Tackles!)

 

1. Best addition by a team in the AFC North?

Bruno Boys Larry:  The best addition to an AFC North team during the offseason to me has to be wide receiver Laveranues Coles to the Cincinnati Bengals. Coles isn’t likely more than a low-end WR2 or even a WR3 from a fantasy standpoint, but his value to the Bengals may be greater than any other AFC North offseason move.

Coles should help make up for the loss of free agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to the Seattle Seahawks. He will be a reliable veteran for Carson Palmer to lean on, and he should help take pressure off both Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry.

Bruno Boys Ziza:  While he was with the team last year, Rashard Mendenhall missed most of the season because of injury. In a lot of ways, this will qualify as his rookie year, which is why I am choosing him.

As long as he is healthy this year, I see him becoming the goal line back as well as getting a solid amount of carries behind Willie Parker to garner him as a solid RB4. The potential lies there as well for him to see an even bigger role in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense should Parker get hurt.

 

2. Biggest sleeper from the AFC North?

Bruno Boys Ziza:  We talked about him earlier; my biggest sleeper for 2009 out of this division is quarterback Carson Palmer. He has just enough question marks surrounding him to where plenty of fantasy owners will be scared off in selecting him. However, he does have potential and some serious talent around him that if he does continue to heal from his elbow injury, he will qualify as a QB1 in deeper leagues.

Considering that quarterback is an important position in fantasy football and that his draft value will be low while his potential remains high, I see no one that even nears his possible impact this season as a solid sleeper.

Bruno Boys Larry: Ziza, I don’t necessarily disagree with you about Carson Palmer. Though, I do believe he will be drafted as a QB2 in many drafts this summer, and he has a chance to finish the season as a QB1. But I will go with Rashard Mendenhall as the biggest sleeper in the AFC North this season.

Mendenhall will enter the season with low expectations and minimal value, but in the Steelers’ ball-control offense Mendenhall has a chance to shine. He is a big strong runner who will likely move into the role of the Steelers’ short yardage back.

With Willie Parker as the team’s primary back, Mendenhall might not have huge yardage totals, but I believe he has a chance to approach double digit touchdowns and could make a nice RB3 in this offense by the end of the season.

3. Biggest possible bust for the AFC North?

Bruno Boys Larry:  I will go with the Baltimore Ravens D/ST as the biggest bust in this division in 2009. Now, I am not saying that the Ravens aren’t going to be a starting fantasy D/ST this season, because they are. What I am saying is that many owners will draft Baltimore’s defense earlier than they should and this could make them a bust.

This is a defense that is getting older and with the key losses I stated earlier in the discussion in linebacker Bart Scott and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan (who are both now with the New York Jets) I believe this team will fall outside the top five or six defensive units in fantasy football.

If you spend an early pick on the Ravens as a top two or three defense this season, I believe you are setting yourself up for a bust.

Bruno Boys Ziza:  This one is an easy one. Whoever starts for the Cleveland Browns at quarterback, between Derek Anderson and likely starter Brady Quinn, will be thrown into a bad situation.

They traded tight end Kellen Winslow and have been trying to move wide receiver Braylon Edwards. That alone is going to bring an iffy atmosphere into the locker room.

While everything went right in 2007, nothing will be going right in 2009. Stay away and let one of your opponents select one of these quarterbacks.  

For more fantasy football insight and advice, click the link below…

Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

 

2009 NFL Position Battles to Watch: Quarterbacks

Fantasy Football Crystal Ball: Steven Jackson

St. Louis Rams running back, Steven Jackson, has become quite the Twitter aficionado, but that’s not his only talent.

When healthy, few players in the NFL offer the type of dynamic package that No. 39 does. The key words there being, “when healthy.”

That’s been a problem for the former Oregon State star throughout his NFL career, as just once in his five seasons has he played a full 16 game schedule. It has been particularly difficult for him to stay on the field over the last two seasons, as he has missed a total of eight games during that span.

Despite his health issues, Jackson’s numbers have been impressive.

He rushed for 1,000 yards in every year of his career, except his rookie season, and has scored at least six times per year over the same time span.

Jackson is, also, an attractive option for fantasy owners because he is one of the few true feature backs left in the NFL who stays in on third downs. The reason for that is his prowess in the receiving game, as he’s caught 38 or more passes in each of the last four seasons.

That won’t change in the 2009 season, as the Rams failed to pick up a back worthy of displacing Jackson for more than a series or two per contest.

What the team did change, however, was the dynamic of their offensive line.

Out are the journeyman centers the team has employed the last few years, and in is former Baltimore Raven Jason Brown. Brown stands at  a bruising 6’3″, and checks in at 320-pounds of a run-blocker, who helped Baltimore to a top-five ranking in rushing yards last season.

Also added to the line was offensive tackle and second overall pick Jason Smith from Baylor. He has a nasty disposition and attitude that will serve the team well as they transform from the doldrums of the Scott Linehan era to the swagger of new head coach and former New York Giants defensiveve coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

One of the most important hires a new head coach can make is that of his coordinators, of course.

On offense, Spagnuolo brought in former Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur to run the show. He will be installing a West Coast offense similar to the one the Eagles employ under head coach Andy Reid. And, if you’ve played fantasy football for any period of time, you know how effectiveve Brian Westbrook has been in that system.

Health is the key here, of course, but if Jackson can stay on the field, he should be able to at least mimic the success Westbrook has been able to attain, and possibly do more. 

Don’t be surprised if the dread locked Jackson rolls up about 1,500 or more combined rushing and receiving yards with double-digit scores in 2009, making him a strong RB1 option.

 

 

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Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Keeper League Questions

In seventh edition of Bruno Boys Mailbag, I will be tackling an email question from a reader who has quite the dilemma of who to keep in a keeper league.

Last but not least, we will provide you with some valuable information on how everyone should use a Commish Kit Draft Boards at their fantasy football draft.

As always, if you have a question about a player or draft strategy, send an email to contact@brunoboys.net and we will give you all the advice needed to make you successful.

With that being said, lets get started on the June 25th, 2009 edition of Bruno Boys Mailbag: Fantasy Football Q & A. 

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QUESTION: Help!  I am in a PPR keeper league where we keep two players from previous season.  I have three bona-fide top 15 players (Forte, Chris Johnson, Brees) and am fairly certain I will keep Forte as one of the two. 

Who do I keep between Brees and C. Johnson?  As last year’s champion, I will be picking last in the first round (12th).

                                            —(Tim (TJ) Edwards)

ANSWER: 

TJ… Congrats on winning your league in 2008. Now it’s time for a repeat performance in 2009.

Before I give you a thorough breakdown on who to keep, I wish I knew what your leagues scoring system was because that would be my deciding factor when choosing between your three options.

However, for the purpose of this question I will assume that it’s a standard scoring (4-points for passing TD’s) league like the majority of fantasy leagues out there.

Assuming that you start two RB’s and it’s standard scoring, the guys I would keep are running backs Matt Forte and Chris Johnson. When our 2009 Top 150 fantasy football rankings come out on July 1, you will notice that Forte is third overall and Johnson isn’t too far behind at 10th overall.

With so many NFL teams employing a RBBC backfield these days it makes to get the studs at the more important position, and in Forte and Johnson, you have a foundation you can build around. Plus, with everyone keeping two players and you not draft until 1.12 that means there will be 35 players off the board before you pick.

If you decided to keep Brees and try to target a RB with your first pick, your options are more of the low-end RB2 status. Going by our top-150 and looking at average-draft-position (ADP), some of the running backs that might be available are Joseph Addai, Darren McFadden, LenDale White and Jonathan Stewart.

None of these choices are bad options but there is no comparison to Johnson in terms of potential and projection—though I feel McFadden is due for a stellar ’09 season.  

If I was in your shoes, I’d keep Forte and Johnson, use my 1.12 pick to snag a wide receiver in the range of Anquan Boldin, Marques Colston and Brandon Marshall, and than use my 4th or 5th round pick on a quarterback.

Based on ADP the available quarterbacks should be in the range of Philip Rivers, Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, and Tony Romo.

You can’t go wrong with any of these signal callers but my pick would be Rodgers. Last year he finished with the second most fantasy points at the QB position. And with the Packers offense continuing to mature, you can expect Rodgers to keep the torrid pace.

Plus, the NFC North division was a division that had plenty of shoot-outs last year and you can expect the same this season.

By keeping Forte and Johnson, you get two of the ten best RB’s and can use one of your next three picks to snag a QB who will be comparable to Brees.

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Will Roy Williams Produce As a No.1 WR in Dallas?

Two years ago at this time, the talk surrounding the Dallas Cowboys had been about how this team had so much talent they were bound to become the next Super Bowl Champion.

Then last year, they had multiple guys on their team with character issues. But the consensus was that if they could stay out of trouble, no one was stopping this team. 

The Cowboys have a new look in 2009, ridding themselves of all the trouble makers, including former No. 1 WR, and chief drama king, Terrell Owens.

Owens’ replacement will be the guy who came in mid-season and did not have much success in a Cowboys uniform, Roy Williams.

Williams came over mid-season in 2008 after the Cowboys and his previous team the Detroit Lions agreed to a trade.

Dallas was able to sign him to an extension when he arrived, but that’s about the only thing that went right for Williams the rest of the season. He totaled 19 catches for 198 yards and one touchdown in nine games.

Although his numbers were down extremely from his career averages of 56.2 catches for 816.4 yards and six touchdowns per season, he played his first two games as a Cowboy without Tony Romo at quarterback, never got in sync with the offense, and played behind the shadow of Owens.

With T.O. now a member of the Buffalo Bills, it will be Williams who will take on the role as being the No.1 WR in Dallas.

After a dismal showing last season, the burning question in Cowboys land is, What can you ultimately expect from Williams this year?

The Cowboys will likely lean on their running game this season, with solid options like Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice carrying the rock.

The No.1 receiver will likely be tight end Jason Witten, with Williams getting the second most targets through the air.

The receiver position in Dallas lacks a lot of depth, with Patrick Crayton starting alongside Williams, and Sam Hurd and Miles Austin acting as their primary backups.

The important thing you want to hear is, of course, Williams’ fantasy football impact.

His numbers will likely compare to his career averages from above. He won’t put up the statistics Owens did in Dallas, because the offense will likely shift towards a more balanced approach. Plus, he isn’t the kind of big time player T.O. is.

In a pecking order, Williams should be ranked as low-end No. 2 WR heading into 2009. Others may take him as a No.1 WR like it’s the 2007 season all over again, which would be a reach due to his lack of consistency (and unknown status as a big time factor in the Cowboys’ offense). 

If someone takes him as their No.1 WR, laugh hysterically and rip him all season long when he lacks a true No.1 WR. Still, Williams has the value to be a solid role player on your fantasy football squad and should contribute enough to give you 15+ points when the match-up is right.

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How Important Are Fantasy Football Mock Drafts?

In sixth edition of Bruno Boys Mailbag, I will be tackling a forum question from a reader who has concerns about the rapid growth of RBBC backfield around the NFL, as well as let you know why partaking in a mock draft or two before the season starts is a handy tool.

Last, but not least, we will provide you with some valuable information on how everyone should use a Commish Kit Draft Board at their fantasy football draft.

As always, if you have a question about a player or draft strategy send an email to contact@brunoboys.net and we will give you all the advice needed to make you successful. With that being said. lets get started on the June 18, 2009, edition of Bruno Boys Mailbag: Fantasy Football Q & A. 

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QUESTION: Seriously, has the whole RBBC thing altered Fantasy Football more than anything else in the past few years? I used to think it was just a stop-gap measure for teams that either were worrying about over-using their stud RB, or possibly buying time until their rookie sensation came of age. Instead, it seems the majority of teams now implement this strategy for a number of reasons, all to the charging of us Fantasy Football players. Any thoughts? — (big peeler)

ANSWER:  Big Peeler…Pretty ironic that you ask this question because our newest writer Bruno Boys Jimbo just finished up an article about the rapid rise of RBBC’s in the AFC and NFC.

As we all know the NFL is a copy-cat league, and if one team has success by employing a RBBC throughout the season the rest of the league is going to jump on the bandwagon and start doing the same.

Just four years ago, there was a select few teams who split time between running backs, but now at least 10 teams have true committee approaches and by the end of the season you can expect another 3-5 teams to be in the mix.

The reason for this is because the average shelf life of a running back is less than five years and with NFL players being such big investments these days owners don’t want to see their star player suffer a career-ending injury before the age of 30.

By getting two quality options on one team, teams gain the ability to keep both fresh and often times a new running back can change the dynamic of the offense and create problems for opposing defenses. 

With half the league sharing carries it really makes snagging a true RB1 who is a workhorse even more important in fantasy football.

Because of this, I am still a true believer that your first round pick in a standard scoring league should be a running back.

Reason being is that if you snag wide receivers and quarterbacks early and are stuck with your RB1 being part of a RBBC, which will lead to inconsistency from the RB position. 

When I am targeting RB’s in my 2009 fantasy football drafts, I am going to target two workhorse RB options right out of the gate and a few rounds later back them up with quality options who are in a RBBC.

Remember, the fact that so many teams split carries means there is a lot more depth than usual at the position.

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QUESTION: So I have been playing fantasy football since 1993 and haven’t really been hip to all the new technology in the industry but I keep reading articles about Mock Drafts and Average-Draft-Position and I am confused. Does it really benefit you to do a Mock Draft before your regular drafts and how important is ADP? Please help! — (Tyler, Kansas City, MO)

ANSWER: Tyler…I started playing the game of fantasy football in 1993 as well at the age of 10 as well, and man, has it changed. There was no date on ADP or Mock Draft software that you can practice on, hell, the Internet wasn’t even popular in ’93.

I remember the days of busting out the USA Today on a daily basis to get NFL stats and Monday morning box scores. Now, as the play happens, we have stat trackers telling us how many fantasy points each owner has.

It’s amazing how much technology has changed, but to be honest I think it’s for the good.

I wouldn’t recommend you quit your day job and start mocking all day long and looking at the ADP of every mock draft on-line, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to participate in a mock draft of two leading up to your live draft.

It helps you get the cobwebs off—as we draft only during a two-month window each year—makes your adrenaline flow and really gives you a good idea of where specific players are flying off the board.

As for ADP, I firmly believe it’s a true indicator that allows you to see what your peers and industry experts think of a specific player before the season starts.

By looking into the ADP of a specific player or players you are actually preparing yourself to identify fair market value for those players.

For example, let’s say Brandon Jacobs is your favorite player and you have the sixth pick in the draft and want to take Jacobs, but you look at his ADP and realize he is being drafted between the 16th-18th pick.

You are better off targeting a player who’s ADP is in the 6-8 range and taking an educated risk that Jacobs will be available when you draft again in round two.

There are times when you need to trust your gut and take the player you have been targeting depending on his ADP, but by using this model to your advantage it will help you identify trends from your opponents and make sure you aren’t reaching on guys that you can get a round or two later.

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2009 Fantasy Football Tight Ends: Best of the Rest

At the top of almost every fantasy football tight end ranking cheat sheet this year, you will find Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates as the top three. Luckily for you, there is a lot of depth at tight end this year.

While drafting one of these top three tight ends will definitely make your fantasy team stronger, it won’t be disastrous if you have to settle for someone listed below.

Let’s take a peak at some of the other tight ends that should have fine seasons in 2009.

Dallas Clark – Indianapolis Colts

When you look at the outlook for the Indianapolis Colts passing game in 2009, the absence of Marvin Harrison should definitely benefit Anthony Gonzalez.

While I do agree with that prediction, I can’t help but think that Dallas Clark will benefit just as much, if not more. He and Peyton Manning have already proven to be quite a tandem while Harrison was still a part of the offense.

Last year, in standard scoring leagues, four tight ends reached 100 points on the season—the three that I mentioned in the introductory paragraph, and Clark. You could easily include him in that top tier group with the other three elite tight ends.

Owen Daniels – Houston Texans

Despite failing to clinch a playoff spot yet in the history of the franchise, the Houston Texans put points on the board. They had the third best offense in the league a year ago. One of the key components of that offense, Owen Daniels, finished third in the league in yards (862) and fifth in receptions (70) among tight ends.

Although he only found the end zone twice, he should continue to get a lot of looks in ’09.

Keep in mind that his success may hinge on the health of Matt Schaub, but if Schaub is under center, Daniels should see similar yardage and probably a couple more touchdowns this season.

John Carlson – Seattle Seahawks

The man who led the Seattle Seahawks in receptions (55), touchdowns (5) and receiving yards (627) last year was John Carlson, a rookie in 2008. Granted, the Seahawks offense was lackluster last season, but Carlson impressed a lot of people a year ago, and didn’t play like a rookie.

This offense should be improved this year, and there’s no reason why they won’t continue to look for Carlson just as much in 2009, but remember the Seahawks signed T.J Houshmandzadeh, and Deion Branch and Nate Burleson are expected to be healthy.

Still, Carlson will produce as a No. 1 TE. 

Brent Celek – Philadelphia Eagles

Exit L.J. Smith, and enter Brent Celek. When the Philadelphia Eagles made their postseason run a year ago, Celek had a team-leading 19 receptions and three touchdowns, while Smith only had three catches.

Smith has gone to Baltimore now, and Celek is the No. 1 TE in this offense. It’s still a bit of a question mark to see how Celek performs in a full season as the Eagles’ top tight end, but he’s already shown Andy Reid that he can perform when the pressure is on. 

Greg Olsen – Chicago Bears

Perhaps the biggest potential sleeper among the tight ends heading into this season is Greg Olsen of the Chicago Bears. Olsen had a productive 2008 campaign, leading all receivers on the Bears with five touchdowns. Only Matt Forte collected more receptions than Olsen.

This all occurred with Kyle Orton behind center. Now, Olsen has Jay Cutler running the offense.

With Devin Hester listed as the team’s top receiver right now, it’s a safe bet that Olsen will be on the receiving end of many Cutler passes.

Zach Miller – Oakland Raiders

You may not have heard about Zach Miller a lot last year since he only scored one touchdown and he played for a pretty bad team in the Oakland Raiders.

What you may not have realized is Miller was, by far, the Raiders’ best receiver last year. He finished with 56 receptions for 778 yards. The next best receiver on the team, Johnny Lee Higgins, ended with 22 receptions for 366 yards.

This team hasn’t done much to improve its passing game, so there’s no reason why Miller shouldn’t continue to be JaMarcus Russell’s main target.

CLICK BEST FOR THE FULL ARTICLE… BEST OF THE 2009 TIGHT ENDS

2009 NFL Cheat Sheet Preview: Wide Receivers

As avid readers of the Bruno Boys website know, the 2009 fantasy football cheat sheetwebazine will be making its world premiere on July 1.

Unfortunately, there will be no red carpet event featuring starlets and the paparazzi to drum up interest (though you’ll all agree there should be), so to whet your appetite we’re going to dole out a bit of a preview on a few wide receivers who have a lot of hype surrounding them entering ’09.

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Anthony Gonzalez (WR)

Without getting too specific, we can tell you that Gonzalez is among the top-30 receivers in our rankings. Clearly, there’s a lot to like about the third-year Ohio State product, but the best thing about him for fantasy football owners may simply be that he’ll be getting more opportunities than at any other point in his career.

With Marvin Harrison having exited Indy, Gonzalez is now the starter opposite Reggie Wayne. And despite Gonzalez’s relative youth, he is the most accomplished wideout on the current roster other than Wayne.

In fact, the rest of the receivers on the team have caught a total of just five NFL passes.

 

Michael Crabtree (SF)

The first-round pick of the 49ers in April’s draft, Crabtree is the only rookie in the top-40 of the wide receiver rankings. His situation, while not similar to Gonzalez’s in terms of who will be throwing him the ball, is comparable in terms of competition in San Francisco at wideout—there just isn’t much.

Josh Morgan has shown the capability to be a special player, but other than him, Crabtree’s main competition for playing time is Isaac Bruce, who will turn 37 during the season, along with Jason Hill and Brandon Jones. Solid players each, but not the type who will be able to stand in the way of Crabtree.

 

Miles Austin (DAL)

Though a top-65 ranking may not seem like it is anything to brag about, it may be for a player who has a total of 18 catches in three seasons in the NFL. But somebody has to catch the balls that Tony Romo slings, and at 6-foot-3 with excellent speed, Miles is as good a candidate as any.

He would only be the third wideout in Dallas, but they were eighth in the league in pass attempts last season, so there are plenty of balls to go around.

 

Earl Bennett (CHI)

As few passes as Austin has caught, there is a player among the top-75 who has caught fewer, and that player is Bennett. In fact, as a third-round pick of the Bears last season, Bennett was on the receiving end of… zero passes. None. Nada. Zilch.

The former Vanderbilt star had his hands on the ball just one time all year—a 17-yard punt return in a Week 14 loss to Minnesota. But the Bears are looking for a receiver to step up, and Bennett’s new teammate, Jay Cutler, also happened to be his teammate in college at Vanderbilt, making him a nice sleeper option this season.

 

Those are just four of the 80 wide outs we touch on with more detail than we did here in the webazine.

There, all of your most pressing questions will be answered, like did Randy Moss make the top-three with the return of Tom Brady? How far did Braylon Edwards fall due to his case of the butterfingers last season? Is Chad Ochocinco still a top-20 receiver? You’ll just have to wait until July 1 to find out.

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READ MORE ARTICLES AT WWW.BRUNOBOYS.NET

Fantasy Football Crystal Ball: Stay Away From Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall, the Denver Broncos‘ top wide receiver, is again in the news.

No, he didn’t get arrested again. Rather, Marshall’s name was linked to a rumor stating that he had asked to be traded by the Broncos. 

This was according to his agent, Kennard McGuire, who confirmed the story on Tuesday with ESPN’s Michael Smith.

McGuire informed Smith that “There was a meeting with Mr. Bowlen and Brandon did ask to be traded. He was told by ownership that the team would do everything in its power to accommodate those wishes. We [Marshall and McGuire] do feel that a change of scenery is not only important but necessary.”

Marshall was suspended for three games in 2008 for seven police-related incidents involving an ex-girlfriend. That number was eventually reduced so that Marshall missed just the season opener,

He was then arrested in early March for an incident involving his current fiancée. However, the charges were dropped when both decided not to testify—as a result, the league has decided it will not punish Marshall for the 2009 arrest.

Currently, Marshall, who is recovering from offseason hip surgery, has been a no-show at both the Broncos’ voluntary workouts and mandatory mini camp as he seeks a contract extension.

However, with Marshall’s history and Denver’s inability to keep their star players happy (see Jay Cutler), the stalling contract talks and Marshall’s demand for a should not come as a surprise.

Now that we’ve got everyone out in Bruno Boys Nation caught up on the world of Brandon Marshall, the question that needs to be answered is: What is his fantasy impact for 2009? 

Since no team has reportedly shown any interest in acquiring the wide receiver’s services, we must project him as a Bronco.

As such, the plain and simple outlook is that Marshall will not touch the numbers he amassed a year ago (104 receptions, 1,265 yards, and 6 TDs). 

For one, Denver was in a lot of shootouts last season, which led to Marshall seeing a great deal of targets. While Denver will likely struggle again defensively in 2009, the numerous additions made to the backfield this off-season by the Broncos has the team appearing more committed to the run than it was last season.

That will translate into fewer pass attempts and fewer targets for Marshall.

Furthermore, those targets will be coming from a new quarterback in Kyle Orton. Were Marshall participating in the team’s off-season workouts, the switch from Cutler to Orton would not be a huge deal.

But since Marshall is sitting out, he hasn’t built up any kind of repertoire with his new quarterback.  

Throw in Marshall’s return from offseason surgery, his August court date for his incident with the ex-girlfriend, and his apparent desire to leave Denver, and it’s only natural to assume his numbers decline.

Marshall is a heck of a talent and played at a No. 1 wider receiver-level in 2008. This year, though, he needs to be downgraded to a No. 2 receiver. 

However, if he gets traded to a team in need of a solid receiver with a strong quarterback under center, all of the above goes out the door and Marshall becomes a No. 1 option yet again.

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For more fantasy football insight and advice, click the link below…

Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

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