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 8 RESULTS

8.01: Bruno Boys Allie - AJ Green, WR, Free Agent/Rookie — Though I’m pretty hardcore about not drafting rookies too early, I’m confident that selecting Georgia Bulldog’s wide receiver AJ Green in Round 8 as my WR4 is well worth the risk. In his three years as a Bulldog, Green caught 166 balls for 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns. I can’t find anything not to like about Green. He’s a physical receiver who uses his body well, has very soft hands, good speed, not to mention the ability to run sophisticated routes and create separation. His size (6’4”, 212-pounds) makes him both a deep threat and red zone option and he’ll easily create mismatches with the league’s smaller defensive backs. If I’m lucky, Green could be 2011’s “Tampa Mike.”

8.02: Bruno Boys Kyle - Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers — You could do a whole lot worse for your fourth wide receiver than Smith. Excuses aside, Smith fell off a lot this season, but the team’s quarterback position was brutal, and there should be a natural progression for Jimmy Clausen from Year 1 to Year 2. In my opinion, even a mild rebound in Smith’s numbers provides value here.

8.03: Bruno Boys Lane -  Zach Miller, TE, Oakland Raiders — The only two tight ends I want that are left are Zach Miller and Brandon Pettigrew… who is on Detroit, and I just can’t take four Lions. Miller was hampered by injury in the middle of the season but still managed a career high five touchdowns and was the top target in the Raiders passing game. He’s plenty capable of filling my tight end spot and should be solid value in Round 8.

8.04: Bruno Boys Ryan - Joseph Addai, RB, Indianapolis Colts — I have my tight end and three solid wide receivers. I want my bench to have some solid running back depth and I think Addai is a good value pick at this point. A shoulder injury derailed Addai last season and he only played eight games, but he should be healthy and ready to go in 2011. Addai doesn’t do anything fancy, but he has a knack for scoring touchdowns. He scored 27 of them from 2007-2009. He’s a free agent this season, however the Colts need to sign him considering how much they needed him last season. I think it’s possible for him to score around 10 touchdowns in 2011 if he is still with the team.

8.05: Bruno Boys Rich - Mike Tolbert, RB, San Diego Chargers — This one took me a while as I struggled to consider who is worth taking at this spot. It would have been a tad too early for a lot of the guys I wanted and no names really stood out until I saw Tolbert there. Sure Ryan Mathews should be set for a big season (if he can stay healthy) but they aren’t going to give him the entire load. I expect Tolbert to see double digit carries every game and get his fair share of goal line carries, making him a solid option for my RB3.

8.06: Bruno Boys James - Julio Jones, WR, Free Agent/Rookie — I am taking the route that Bruno boys Allie went when she took A.J. Green to open Round 8. Looking at the wideouts left, I don’t see anyone staring at me that I believe could contribute more than this stellar rookie can. Julio Jones was one of the top High School prospects in 2008 and in his freshman year at Alabama, helped them go undefeated and win a national championship. At 6’ 4” 220 lbs, Jones has the size to create mismatches from Day 1 and he is fast and strong enough to excel at the NFL level. He is the type of talent that is well worth taking the gamble on as my WR4.

8.07: FF Whiz - Jim Day - Lance Moore, WR, New Orleans Saints — After an injury plagued 2009 season, Moore bounced back in 2010. He is a unrestricted free agent, however I fully expect New Orleans to do everything they can to bring him back. He will never catch 100 passes, but it’s clear that Drew Brees trusts him in the red zone. He ended the 2010 season with 63 receptions, 763 yards, and eight touchdowns. I look at those numbers as the lower end of what Moore does in 2011. Look for Moore to approach 75 receptions, 875 yards, and 10 touchdowns in 2011.

8.08: Bruno Boys Cory - Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST — It’s no big secret around the Bruno Boys that I have no problem being one of the first teams to select a team D/ST. With all my starters set except for D/ST, it happens again. This time, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s hard to argue against them and their 48 sacks, 24 forced fumbles and 21 interceptions from a year ago. Oh yeah, they were also first or second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game, total yards allowed per game, and points allowed per game.

8.09: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Fred Jackson, RB, Buffalo Bills — I am not convinced that CJ Spiller is an every-down running back. He reminds me a lot of Reggie Bush and we all know how his career has gone in New Orleans. When Jackson is on the field the Bills are a better football team. Despite seeing just 20 carries over Buffalo’s first four games, Jackson still finished with 142 fantasy points and ranked No. 21 among all running backs. Bottom Line, FJAX produces for his fantasy owners and makes for a serviceable RB3 option.

8.10: Bruno Boys JRonstadt - James Starks, RB, Green Bay Packers — After selecting Ryan Grant a couple of round earlier, I decided to nab the other half of the Packers prospective running back by committee; James Starks. Starks, a sixth round pick out of Buffalo in the 2010 draft, flashed an impressive power-speed combination in the second half of the season and, at the very least, seems primed for a 40 percent stake in Green Bay’s backfield next season. Given Brandon Jackson’s status as an unrestricted free agent, Starks could even wind up as the de facto third down back.

8.11: Bruno Boys Brad - Chad Ochocinco, WR, Cincinnati Bengals — I’m not a huge fan of this pick, because, however Ochocinco should be a solid WR3. I’m crossing my fingers Carson Palmer, for all his faults, winds up staying in Cincinnati. I don’t know what direction the Bengals would go at quarterback in Palmer’s absence, but none of the potential options out there look that great. That said, Ochocinco still has the talent and at anytime can put together a big game.

8.12: Bruno Boys Jimbo - Deion Branch, WR, New England Patriots — Deion Branch isn’t going to carry my team by any means, but he seemed to rekindle some magic with Tom Brady after being traded back to the Patriots last season. All I am asking out of Branch is for him to produce at a WR3 level, and I think he can do that. While Wes Welker is the PPR machine and Rob Gronkowski is Brady’s favorite redzone target, there’s still plenty of opportunities for Branch to produce in this offense. If he can give me a couple games like he did at Detroit last season, he’s worth the risk as my WR3.

 
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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