Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Just because the NFL is in the middle of a lockout it 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 Steve Coppola , a member of the Bruno Boys Forum, we bring to you the second of many Fantasy Football 2011 Mock Drafts. This draft will be a 16-round affair based on a points per reception (PPR) scoring league (Pass TDs - 4 points, All Other TDs - 6 points, 25 Yards Passing - 1 point, 10 Yards Rushing/Receiving - 1 point, All Receptions - 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 March 9, 2011. Be sure to check back on a regular basis for updates and feel free to give your opinion in our comments section. **All draft picks were made before the 2011 NFL Draft**

2011 FANTASY FOOTBALL PPR MOCK DRAFT ROUND 1 RESULTS

1.01: Bruno Boys Rich - Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings — I really considered surprising everyone and going Jamaal Charles with this selection but I just couldn’t resist taking Peterson. He finished second among running backs in fantasy points in 2010, however the deciding factor here is that Peterson is young (26) and has had at least 1,600 total yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first four season’s in the NFL. I’ll take that consistency over anyone else available no matter if it’s PPR or standard scoring.

 
1.02: Bruno Boys Allie - Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans — Foster is a PPR fantasy owner’s dream running back and I’m happy to build my roster around the talented third-year phenom who was Fantasy Football’s 2010 MVP and also happens to be my pick for 2011’s No. 1 overall. His breakout season included 327 carries for 1,616 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground, along with 66 receptions for 604 passing yards and two additional touchdowns in the air. Foster delivered the goods week in and week out, averaging 138.8 total yards and just over a touchdown per game. Though the return of Ben Tate to the Houston backfield concerns some, I’m not worried about him cutting into Foster’s production in 2011. Tate still has to prove himself on the field and stay healthy, while the Texans know that they have in the supremely talented Foster, what they’ve been looking for over the years–the perfect back for their zone blocking scheme. As Charlie Sheen would say, “Winning!” 

1.03: Bruno Boys Kyle - Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans — Jamaal Charles was a thought here, but I simply cannot ignore Johnson in this spot. He not only had over 1,300 rushing yards and 11 rushing scores, but also caught 44 passes, enhancing his PPR value. Even with teams focusing on shutting him down, Johnson should continue to produce top of the line numbers in 2011.

1.04: Bruno Boys Ryan - Ray Rice, RB, Baltimore Ravens — I could have gone with LeSean McCoy or Jamaal Charles with this pick, however feel like I could trust Rice because of his consistency. Rice once again showed in 2010 why he is turning into an top five talent in PPR leagues He was third to only to McCoy and Arian Foster in receptions by a running back and had his second season in a row of 60 plus receptions.  Rice also finished in the top 10 in rushing yards and scored six touchdowns.  If the Baltimore Ravens continue to run their offense through Rice like they did in the second half of 2010, there is no reason he won’t once again be a PPR monster.  Rice might also get more scoring opportunities with Willis McGahee unlikely to resign with the team.

1.05: Bruno Boys Lane - LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles — I cried a little when Ray Rice was taken before me, and I was left with a brutal choice between Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy. In PPR McCoy is the choice with this pick as he had a sizable margin in receptions over Charles and considering his role as Brian Westbrook 2.0 in Andy Reid’s offense the receptions are sure to continue rolling in. Also helping to overcome my unrelenting desire for Jamaal Charles’ yards per carry average is the zero competition for carries and goal line work for McCoy, unless you count his quarterback. It’s painful to pass on Master Chief (Charles) but McCoy is the logical pick here.

1.06: Bruno Boys James - Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs — It happened again! Jamal Charles fell into my lap at pick 1.06 in our PPR mock draft like he did at 1.07 in our standard scoring mock draft. Charles’ ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and turn them into big plays makes him a perfect PPR running back. In his first full year as an integral part of the Chiefs offense he dazzled. Charles produced enough to be tied for fourth in fantasy points (268 total) among running backs in PPR leagues.  Thomas Jones wore down last year, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and I expect Charles to get more touches in his second full year. Don’t be surprised if Charles is the top fantasy football running back in 2011.

1.07: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars — Entering the draft I had a feeling that I would be choosing between Maurice Jones-Drew and Jamaal Charles for this pick. Bruno Boys James made my decision easy when he snagged Charles at 1.06. If MJD wasn’t suffering from an bone-on-bone injury that forced him to miss the final two games last year I don’t think I would have been fortunate enough to land him with this pick. While many are concerned by the injury, I am not one of them and I consider MJD a top five PPR running back in 2011. Jones-Drew has missed just three games during his four year career and I fully expect him to be healthy moving forward. In an down year he still totaled 1,641 yards and found the end zone seven times. There is some concerns by his career low 36 receptions on just 44 targets (71 targets in 2009), however with the Jaguars having limited weapons offensively I can see Jones-Drew getting back into the 50-60 reception range again.

1.08: Bruno Boys JRonstadt - Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons — I probably would have selected White here even if this were a non-PPR format. White has all the qualities sought after in a Round 1 pick. His receptions have increased in all six of his NFL campaigns. He’s never missed a start. And at 29, he’s in the prime of his career and is coming off a career year in which he compiled a gaudy 115 receptions for 1,389 and 10 touchdowns.

1.09: Bruno Boys Jimbo -  Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans — Johnson missed some games due to injury, but I still like him a lot 2011. Texans signal caller Matt Schaub had a big second half last season and with Houston having an abundance of weapons I expect that to continue in 2011. If it does, you know he will be looking Johnson’s way early and often. I still like to take a running back with my first pick in a draft, even in a PPR draft, but at pick 1.09, it’s justifiable to take a wide receiver, especially with somebody like Johnson still on the board.

1.10: Bruno Boys Brad - Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers — I’ll cross my fingers that Gore’s hip injury will be fully healed by the start of the 2011 season, and early reports seem to indicate that he should be ready. Once again Gore will be the centerpiece of the 49ers’ offense, no matter who their signal caller is. First year head coach Jim Harbaugh will recognize fairly quickly Gore is the most talented offensive player he has. If healthy, expect Gore to put together around 1,500 otal yards while exceeding 50 receptions.

1.11: Bruno Boys Cory - Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams — Having to wait until the 1.11 of the first round in a PPR draft is tough. By this pick the odds are the top seven or eight running backs are gone, as well as the top few wide receivers. I wanted to be sure to get a running back with good pass-catching skills, and Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams is that guy. Not only did he rush for 1,241 yards and six touchdowns last season but he also caught 46 passes for 383 yards. With a young and improving offense led by quarterback Sam Bradford, I think Jackson’s numbers will be just as good, if not better in 2011. Plus, you can’t overlook his consistency, as Jackson has rushed for over 1,000 yards and hauled in at least 38 receptions in six consecutive seasons.

1.12:  Steve Coppola - Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers — Picking at the end of Round 1 in a snake draft is tough. After making my pick at 1.12 and 2.01 I won’t be able to snag another player for 23 more picks. In any format, the conservative choice is to take one of the top quarterback, however I’m drafting with too many quality owners so now is NOT the time to be safe. I like to build my team around top tier running backs and wide receivers, especially in a format in which I get one point per each reception. With Mendenhall having the backfield all to himself, the workhorse rushed for 1,273 yards and scored 13 touchdown, while playing the first four games without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Plus, he chipped in 23 receptions on the season. Mendy is a durable running back who has an incredible nose for finding the end zone and we all know those six pointers can add up quickly.

 
PPR ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  |  10  (click to view)

STANDARD ROUND-BY-ROUND RESULTS:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  10  |  11  |  12  |  13  |  14  |  15  |  16

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