Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

We know exactly what is running through your brain right now, how can a fourth tier offensive player make an impact in fantasy football in year one? After all, each year there is usually only a handful of rookies out of the positions combined (QB, RB, WR, TE) that make for a viable option on your fantasy team. That is why we are going to spin things a bit for you in the final week of our four-part series that breaks down 2010 Impact Fantasy Rookies. In tier four, we will look at guys who will not be big time playmakers in year one, but should be owned in keeper leagues and dynasty leagues. In fact, in a dynasty league players like Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow will likely be high draft picks. Outside of the signal callers, the majority of the Many of the guys listed in the other three tiers should be higher on your keeper or dynasty list; however, the Bruno Boys are here to give you even more ideas for the future. 

1. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame: While every NFL team seems convinced that Bradford is the better quarterback when compared to Clausen, don’t be surprised if, for fantasy football purposes (and possibly real life), the Notre Dame signal caller will be the better pick. Remember, Clausen played on a team with a horrible defense (making his stats better but always playing from behind forced his offensive hand) and still put up points at a high rate to keep his team in games. He is a fiery guy who is physically and mentally tough. Clausen’s biggest adjustment will come with his accuracy, something that can be worked when you are focusing on football 24 hours a day. The way he makes plays and attacks defenses tells us that if he gets an opportunity (may take a year or so) that he could be the best fantasy football quarterback of the bunch. In 200,9 Clausen threw for 3,722 yards and 28 touchdowns.

2. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: Clearly it is tough to get a good estimation on Bradford considering he came off a season in which he hurt his shoulder and only compiled 562 yards and two touchdowns. He has the prototypical size for a quarterback with a high football IQ. While he may be the best overall at his position as far as NFL players go, it’s tough seeing him put up numbers that can rival some of the starts in this league. It will take Bradford a while to deal with pressure, something Clausen was so accustomed to since Notre Dame was often playing from behind.. While Bradford is a game day winner, he may not be a fantasy football stud right out of the gate. Still, as a dynasty league owner you are going to take him as a top five pick in your rookie draft.

3. Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota: In a previous tier, we mentioned Jordan Shipley of Texas as a possible PPR wide receiver who can make tough catches over the middle. Decker can be that player as well. What makes Decker so good is his soft hands that never seem to drop a pass. He is tough (plays through injuries) and is one of the most fearless players coming out in this draft. The question mark surrounding his ability though is injuries. If he can stay healthy, and find a home in an offense that needs immediate help, Decker could have some value in PPR fantasy football leagues this year. However, if he doesn’t stay healthy, the time off the field will delay him quite a bit. Last year Decker had 758 yards receiving and five touchdowns. 

4. Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU: You may wonder why Pitta isn’t included in a higher tier considering he has good height with above average speed. The biggest concern is his smaller frame, which may keep him off the field. His lack of bulk means Pitta might struggle with blocking and therefore will not put him in the lineup. His receiving skills are very good; however, unless he can improve his blocking skills by September Pitta may be a guy who doesn’t make his mark until year two or three. That makes him a great target for owners in deep keeper leagues who may have an aging tight end as their starter. As a senior at BYU, Pitta had 829 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. 

5. Anthony McCoy, TE, USC: Although he may not have wowed you during the 2009 season with only 457 yards and one touchdown, McCoy is an exceptional tight end. He has great hands and can catch anything thrown near him. The one problem is that McCoy struggles with separation from defenders, which forces him to make tough catches. He additionally needs to work on his blocking to make sure he stays on the field as much as possible. One thing to note of McCoy is that he is one of the hardest working players at his position, making him an excellent candidate to keep an eye for years to come. Draft him in your rookie draft but don’t count on him to be a stalwart right out of the gate.

6. Damian Williams, WR, USC: Even though Williams has shown a lot of promise running routes, he is one of the biggest projects at the wide receiver position in the 2010 NFL Draft. Williams has very good speed with soft hands and can make a lot of catches; however, his small frame could lead to a potential problem in the NFL. Until he can add some size and get familiar with the speed of the NFL game, Williams may struggle to get on the field in year one. Add that he struggles to keep a hold of the ball and you realize why it may be tough for any team to trust the rookie right away. However, his physical overall tools are solid and Williams could end up being one of the better wide receivers in this draft.

7. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas: While McCoy doesn’t have the overall physical tools of Bradford or Clausen, he does possess the best intangibles of any quarterback coming into the draft. He doesn’t have the ideal height of a quarterback, but does have good accuracy with the ability to scamper away from defenders. What may keep McCoy from getting on the field is his mechanics. Whatever team drafts him may try working on his release, which will delay McCoy from even competing to be a starter. But his numbers from last season, 3,521 yards and 27 touchdowns, show that he can be a solid fantasy football quarterback. Don’t invest a bench spot on McCoy in re-draft leagues; however, dynasty owners should snag him in the middle of Round 1.

8. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida: Usually we put seven guys on each tier, but how can you wrap up the rookies without mentioning Tim Tebow. While the general consensus among the staff is that Tebow can make the transition to an NFL quarterback with his new motion, it will take a lot of time. However, even if he fails to be a signal caller, the team that drafts him will use Tebow in a number of ways. From a possible goal line back, to fullback, to tight end…it’s hard to say where Tebow could line up, but his versatility and overall athleticism has to excite you to the point that you could take a chance on stashing him away (because he will be a quarterback first which will take a lot of time) until he has a defined role. In 2009, Tebow finished off his glorious college career throwing for 2,895 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 910 yards and 14 touchdowns.

As you see the quarterbacks get listed here, as they are generally projects that will not blossom for a couple years minimum. However in a keeper or dynasty league you always want to think a couple years ahead of schedule, which is where stashing a young quarterback could be a good move.

Impact Fantasy Rookies:  Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 3  |  Part 4

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This article is written by Bruno Boys Greg. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)