Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Just because the 2010 NFL season recently came to an end doesn’t mean that you can’t start preparing for the upcoming fantasy football season. Comprised of 11 members of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Staff and guest draftee Jim Day from Fantasy Football Whiz we bring to you the first of many Fantasy Football 2011 Mock Drafts. This draft will be 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 lineup made up of 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WRs, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 D/ST, owners are free to fill out their rosters any way they like. 

Commentary after each pick is provided by the Bruno Boys staff member who made that pick. The draft started on February 10, 2011. Be sure to check back on a regular basis for updates and feel free to give your opinion in our comments section.

2011 FANTASY FOOTBALL MOCK DRAFT ROUND 10 RESULTS

10.01: Bruno Boys Allie - Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints — The three running backs that I considered to fill my RB4 slot each had disappointing (to varying degrees), injury-marred 2010 campaigns. I was briefly tempted to go back on my resolution to never again draft and/or claim Donald Brown from the waiver wire until he shows that he can get the job done more than once or twice a season. In the end, I decided to roll with a guy who was an integral part of the New Orleans Saints backfield during their Super Bowl winning season–the versatile yet durability challenged and likely free agent Pierre Thomas. A serious (and apparently misdiagnosed) ankle injury limited him to just six games this past season and he’s currently rehabbing following major ankle surgery. He comes with risk along with upside, however it’s February, so why not? If Thomas can get healthy during the offseason, then I think his north-south power running style and abilities in the screen game are assets that many running game-challenged clubs would find attractive should the Saints pass on re-signing him. No matter where he lands, Thomas has what it takes to step in and produce right away.

10.02: Bruno Boys Kyle - LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, New York Jets — Though I expect LaDainian Tomlinson’s numbers to drop off a bit from his surprisingly effective 2010 campaign, and for Shonn Greene to carry more of the load in 2011, he’s a good fit as a RB4. His numbers fell off a bit as the season wore on, but he showed he still has some gas left in the tank.

10.03: Bruno Boys Lane -  Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears — Drafting a high-risk option in Matthew Stafford as my first quarterback necessitated I draft a reliable backup, and while many may disagree with me, I got exactly who I wanted in Chicago Bears signal-caller Jay Cutler. He took a beating in his first season in the Mike Martz offense, taking 52 sacks and sustaining a concussion that cost him a game. The offensive line woes forced Martz to go against his normally pass-heavy play-calling tendencies, which resulted in 123 fewer pass attempts than last year. It did make him much more effective, posting a 100 plus passer rating in four of his last six games and considering he threw 10 fewer interceptions while raising his yards per completion from 10.9 to 12.5 you can see he definitely made strides in his game. With improvements sure to come in the offensive line (which played much better down the stretch) along with another year in the complicated Martz offense I’m expecting these gains in his peripheral stats to show in the ones that matter: touchdowns and yardage.

10.04: Bruno Boys Ryan - James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers — I feel like my running back core is solid right now, so I think it’s a good time to draft my fourth wide receiver. Jones had 50 receptions for 679 yards and five touchdowns in 2010 and he did it in an offense that frequently spread the ball around. He is a free agent next season and in my opinion he seems unlikely to resign with the. If Jones signs with another team he will likely have a more expanded role in the offense. Jones has the skills to be a potential No. 2 fantasy football receiver in standard leagues and I think that’s decent value at this point in the draft.

10.05: Bruno Boys Rich - Danny Amendola, WR, St. Louis Rams —  I’ll certainly take a guy with 85 catches in 2010 as my WR4 in Round 10. Amendola is the poor man’s Wes Welker in my opinion and if he can just find the end zone more in his second year with Sam Bradford he’ll be a bargain. Amendola catches a ton of balls and while he won’t rack up big yardage, exceeding 800 yards isn’t out of the question. A few more scoring opportunities is all I ask, and the Rams offense is certainly headed in that direction.

10.06: Bruno Boys James - Green Bay Packers D/ST — I have four wide receivers and three running backs already and felt it was time to grab a solid Defense/Special Teams option before the run starts. The Green Bay Packers certainly fit the bill. Last year they were the third overall fantasy football defense having 47 sacks and 24 interceptions. They did this despite dealing with injuries to their linebacker core and secondary. Next year they should get all these players back and will be geared up for another outstanding season.

10.07: FF Whiz - Jim Day - Davone Bess, WR, Miami Dolphins — Bess is coming off an 80 catch, 800 yard, five touchdown season with an offense that never really got going. There is nothing I don’t like about him. Runs great routes, has excellent hands and he is not afraid to fight for the ball. Bess is only 25 and I look for him to continue to get better. Don’t be surprised at all if he gets 1,000 receiving yards and eight to 10 touchdowns if Henne can take the next step.

10.08: Bruno Boys Cory - Mike Sims-Walker, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars — I wanted to get a wide receiver here in case my previous picks of Wes Welker or Santana Moss didn’t work out. I like Mike Sims-Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars because when he plays, he produces. He caught seven touchdowns last season despite missing four games. I would prefer his catches and receiving yards to be higher, however since his touchdown potential is very good, I feel comfortable with him as a WR3 in the event he needs to fill a spot in my starting lineup.

10.09: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts —  I debated going with a backup signal caller or adding wide receiver depth, however I decided to take a gamble on Brown’s potential. Entering his third season, Brown has battled injuries and lackluster play, but with the Colts likely to cut Joseph Addai it could be his time to shine. I’ll be honest, a lot has to go right for Brown to be an impact fantasy football player in 2011, but you can’t win fantasy titles without taking risks and Brown could be a risk that pays off.

10.10: Bruno Boys JRonstadt - Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots — I felt the time was right to take the plunge on Moss, a troubled but still talented wide receiver who will hope for a Terrell Owens-esque career revival in 2011. Moss, 34 but only a year removed from an 1,264 and 13 touchdown campaign, should have an opportunity to sign with a more receiver-friendly offense this off season (there’s pretty much nowhere to go but up when you consider his last two quarterbacks; a disinterested Brett Favre and a washed up Kerry Collins). This isn’t a pick for the faint of heart, but there’s plenty of upside here.

10.11: Bruno Boys Brad - Kyle Orton, QB, Denver Broncos — I don’t like what’s available at running back and wide receiver at pick 10.11, so I’ll draft my backup to Peyton Manning. Taking Orton could easily blow up in my face, if the Broncos decide to keep him and make Tim Tebow their starter. However, I’ll take this risk and hope that Orton lands in an offense that is in dire need of a quarterback.

10.12: Bruno Boys Jimbo - Mike Thomas, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars — Mike Thomas led the Jaguars with 66 receptions for 818 yards in 2010. If Mike Sims-Walker does not return next season, Thomas will have a good chance at being team’s top wide receiver. Even if Sims-Walker does come back, he was nonexistent too often last season to really hinder the opportunities for Thomas. In addition, Thomas also returned punts last season, and found his way into the endzone that way, as well. There’s a lot of upside with Thomas, and as my WR4, I could do much worse.

 
ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16    (click to view)

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