Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Consisting of 10 members of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Staff, along with guest columnist’s from Fighting Chance Fantasy and The IDP Guru, our first of many Fantasy Football 2010 Mock Draft was a 16-round affair based on a standard scoring league (Pass TDs - 4 points, All Other TDs - 6 points, 25 Yards Passing - 1 point, 10 Yards Rushing/Receiving - 1 point). Outside of having to field a starting line-up occupied by 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 D, owners were free to compile their rosters any way in which they pleased.

All commentary after each pick is provided by the Bruno Boys staff member who made that pick. The draft started on February 15, 2010 and we will report round-by-round updates as they are available. Make sure to check back for more commentary on our Fantasy Football 2010 Mock Draft.

FEBRUARY MOCK DRAFT ROUND 9 RESULTS

9.01: Bruno Boys Matt - Devin Hester (Chi) — This is purely a high upside play with Mike Martz arriving as OC in Chicago and Jay Cutler having one season under his belt as Bears QB. Lovie Smith thinks Hester has the skills to be a #1 WR and I think the upside is there to make this a value pick.

9.02: Bruno Boys Larry - Kenny Britt (Ten) — Britt had a solid, yet inconsistent rookie season with the Tennessee Titans. He finished the year with 43 receptions for 701 yards and three touchdowns. He seemed to be building a good rapport with Titans quarterback Vince Young in 2009, something I think the two will look to build on in 2010. He is a big and physical wide out who is hard to take down. I am very happy landing the second year receiver as my fourth receiver this late in the draft.

9.03: Bruno Boys Whooley - Devin Aromashodu (Chi) — Aromashodu is a perfect example as to why fantasy football owners need to pay attention through Week 17 no matter what because ultimately it only helps you for next year’s draft. Over the last four weeks of the 2009 season, Aromashodu averaged 12.75 fantasy points per contest as he quickly became a favorite target of Bears’ QB Jay Cutler. He also appears to be a favorite of Mike Martz, the Bears new offensive coordinator, and we all know what Martz can do for a receiver’s fantasy value. His upside makes him well worth a WR4 spot on my roster.

9.04: Bruno Boys Hallam - Terrell Owens (FA) — I was looking to finish out my wide receivers and there were a lot of guys who seemed to be average.  It might be weird to call a guy who is in his mid thirties someone with upside, but T.O. still has a chance to be good.  He is clearly out of Buffalo and has been linked to a number of different teams.  If he ends up landing somewhere like Cincinnati it could be an ideal situation for him, and for a third receiver I would have made a good pick.  Of course there is an equal chance that he can end up being a problem in the locker room, quit on his team, and be suspended or cut by October.  I’m sure that he still wants to show everyone that he still has it, so I’ll roll the dice.

9.05: Bruno Boys Jacob - Marion Barber (Dal) — I’m not sure if this ends up being a three-headed committee like in years past (with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice), or if Choice ends up moving to another team for 2010. I can see Barber’s role limited to the work inside the 20’s like Brandon Jacobs, but that may make Barber more valuable. He is still a talented runner when healthy, even though Jones has showed more than enough to make him the “starting” back in this offense. For my 4th RB, I’m happy with the value here.

9.06: Bruno Boys Jimbo - Santana Moss (Was) — I’d definitely leave this guy on my bench for most weeks, as he’s a pretty big boom-or-bust option these days, but really, what you want from WRs in these rounds are targets, and Santana Moss is still the top passing option on this team for now. He’s a worth a spot on my bench.

9.07: Bruno Boys Allie - Reggie Bush (NO) — Fairly or not, he’s been labeled overhyped, a draft bust and a guy who can’t run between tackles…yet there’s no denying that Bush is a threat rushing, receiving, and on special teams. He’s scored 32 touchdowns in four seasons despite missing 12 games due to injury. I chose him as my third RB and ninth round pick because I have confidence that Sean Payton will use Bush in ways that take advantage of his versatility, explosiveness, and ability to be difference-maker. I also hope Bush studies his performance from the divisional game against the Cardinals where he lowered his shoulders, knocked guys over and broke tackles—he’s got the tools - if he uses them consistently and stays healthy Bush has a chance to live up to all the expectations. At the very least, he’s a valuable goal-line option. 

9.08: Bruno Boys Cory - Joe Flacco (Bal) — Not that I needed a quarterback since I got Drew Brees and everything, but I wasn’t really feeling any of the players at tight end with this pick. Flacco is an up-and-coming player who will be a good backup for my squad should anything happen to Brees.

9.09: Bruno Boys Kyle - LaDainian Tomlinson (FA) — I realize that LT is no longer a Charger and will probably not be a starter any longer, but the man did score 12 times last season. He likely won’t get that many this season, but he’s still good for about eight or so scores and maybe 700 rushing/receiving yards, and I’ll certainly take that in the ninth round.

9.10: Bruno Boys IDP Guru - Steve Breaston (Ari) — I wanted to solidify my receiving core and I believe Breaston does that for me. I don’t think Anquan Boldin will be a Cardinal in 2010. With this being said, Breaston becomes the #2 WR in Arizona and should see a healthy increase in his 2009 production of 712 yards and 3 TDs.

9.11: Bruno Boys Greg - Marshawn Lynch (Buf) — This may be a risky pick, but aren’t they all at this point? Fred Jackson had a good year. But, Lynch will be going into his 4th year and has shown he has the potential to be a solid contributor that can be used in a variety of ways. If he can work hard and stay out of trouble, Lynch is a solid pick here this late in the draft.

9.12: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Ahmad Bradshaw (NYG) — With Ronnie Brown and Clinton Portis on my roster, I need a running back who is young and versatile and Bradshaw seems to be that guy. His 184 touches translated to 985 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009. Bradshaw will be just 24 next season, and he is a young running back who I feel is close to breaking out in a big way. Look for Bradshaw to start 2010 sharing the workload with Brandon Jacobs; however, I wouldn’t be surprised if he finished the season as the regular ball carrier in New York.

Round 9 Commentary from Bruno Boys Whooley: Some big names are still coming off the board here in Round 9, which tells me that the 2010 season will be an interesting one from a fantasy point of view. The RBBC and the heavy emphasis on the passing game, which has given fantasy value to teams’ No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers, are to blame as both items have resulted in more players holding fantasy relevance.

As for the Round 9 picks here, chances are that both T.O. and LT go prior to Round 9 should they land in the right situations. As of now, despite their talents, that FA next to their name is a big detractor from their fantasy value.

Neither Reggie Bush, Marion Barber, nor Marshawn Lynch hold nearly the same value they held in years past, but all have showcased their talents before in the NFL and all could do so again should an injury or poor play by a teammate create even more playing time for these backs.

Bruno Boys Cory made a wise move in snagging Joe Flacco. I know he has Drew Brees, a man you play week in and week out, but Tom Brady was the same type of quarterback going into 2008, and we all know what happened there. Quarterback is a very important position in fantasy football, which is why I suggest you do as Cory did and grab a solid back-up whether you have a stud at the position or not.

Finally, in looking at the five wide receivers to go here in Round 9 not named T.O., I hate to say it, but I think the guys who grabbed the bigger names made the mistakes. The Devin Hester experiment at wide receiver hasn’t truly paid off yet, and with Martz envisioning Hester playing reduced snaps as the team’s slot receiver, I don’t see it paying off in 2010. As for Santana Moss, I just don’t like how inconsistent he is. At least the other three wide outs taken (Devin Aromashodu, Kenny Britt, and Steve Breaston) all are young, shown potential, and have room for improvement.

Past Rounds RECAP:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12 |  13 | 14 |  15 |  16

 
Have an opinion on how the ninth round played out? If so, let us know!

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