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 5 RESULTS

5.01: Bruno Boys Rich - Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles — Maclin emerged as a big fantasy football threat in 2010 and should only get better in 2011. Desean Jackson may be the No.1, but Maclin has a nice rapport with Mike Vick and at 23 years old is on the rise. Plus, he is the best possession receiver on the outside in Philly and Maclin clearly has the skill set to be a top 10 option at his position.

 
5.02: Bruno Boys Allie - Sidney Rice, WR, Minnesota Vikings — Drafting Rice as my WR2 in Round 5 might seem overly optimistic, however I think the four-year veteran will return to fantasy glory in 2011. Rice will either be an unrestricted or a restricted free agent depending on the terms of the new CBA. Whatever the designation, Rice is in the market for a long-term deal, whether it’s with the Minnesota Vikings or another club. His decision to put off the inevitable hip surgery during the offseason ruined his chances for a productive 2010. Nevertheless, Rice is young, talented and a difference maker on the field and I expect that he’ll be one of the hotter commodities on the market. He’ll produce no matter where he lands, though a quality quarterback throwing him the ball will up his fantasy value significantly. 

5.03: Bruno Boys Kyle - Anquan Boldin, WR, Baltimore Ravens — Boldin didn’t have his best year in 2010 (64 catches, 837 yards and seven touchdowns) in his first season with Baltimore, but he is still a guy who is going to pick up plenty of catches as the top receiving threat on the team. Expect Boldin to bounce back in 2011 and get closer to the 86 reception average he had from 2005 to 2009.

5.04: Bruno Boys Ryan - Dallas Clark, TE, Indianapolis Colts — I feel there isn’t any wide receiver that warrants this high of a pick in Round 5 and I simply can’t pass up Dallas Clark. Clark isn’t far removed from an outstanding 2009 season where he had 100 receptions for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns. He claims his rehab from wrist surgery is on track to be healthy for the 2011 season. I don’t think it will take long for him and Peyton Manning to find their groove again.

5.05: Bruno Boys Lane - Jermichael Finley, TE, Green Bay Packers — Normally I never, ever take a tight end this early in fantasy football drafts. In fact, this is probably the first time I’ve ever taken this position within the first five rounds, however with the PPR format and plethora of likable quarterbacks still available I decided to take one of the NFL’s great emerging pass catchers in Jermichael Finley. His 2010 was marred by injury, cutting short what should have been his first major year. In 2011 he will be coming back healthy to a prolific offense with an elite quarterback that will look his way early and often, meaning that big season should come now.

5.06: Bruno Boys James - Austin Collie, WR, Indianapolis Colts — I hate to break up the tight end party that just started however I will do just that. With this being a start three wideout league, I wanted to make sure I drafted a guy that has the potential to be a solid WR3 option. Austin Collie certainly has his risk as he’s a threat for a concussion every game, but when he’s not injured he is one of Peyton Manning’s favorite targets. He opened up 2010 with 44 receptions, 503 yards and six touchdowns and I expect Collie to continue to get a lot of looks in Indy’s high-octane offense. I also debated Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson at 5.06, however ultimately sided with Collie because of whose throwing him the balls.

5.07: Bruno Boys Cavigs - Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints — After drafting Maurice Jones-Drew at 1.07, I decided to go quarterback, wide receiver and wide receiver with my last three picks so the time is now to grab myself a second running back. Thomas suffered multiple injuries in 2010 and only saw action in six games, however when he played he produced in PPR formats. His 13.8 fantasy points per game ranked No. 16 at the running back position and Thomas trailed only LeSean McCoy in receptions per game from the running back position. If healthy, Thomas has the ability and supporting cast to produce as a high-end RB2 and while there is some risk with this pick, it’s worth investing in him based on talent and scoring system alone. Only time will tell if the real Pierre Thomas will show up in the Big Easy…

5.08: Bruno Boys JRonstadt - Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals — Wells might not be the trendiest RB2 option, however he is one with considerable upside. One year after a decent rookie campaign that saw him tally 936 total yards and seven touchdowns, Wells had a thoroughly disappointing sophomore year, totaling a meager 471 yards with two scores. The 2011 season will undoubtedly be a make or break season for the former OSU star, however Wells is clearly a superior talent to teammate Tim Hightower and with a full offseason to recover from a nagging knee injury, I’m banking on a big-time rebound.

5.09: Bruno Boys Jimbo -  Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys — Which tight end led the league in receptions, targets and yards in 2010? It was Jason Witten, who was the only 1,000-yard tight end last season. In addition, Witten accomplished all of this without having Tony Romo under center for the full season. Witten finished with 94 receptions and Chris Cooley was No. 2 at the position with 77. With Romo coming back to full health in 2011, expect Witten to continue to catch the football at the same rate while seeing an increase in red zone opportunity.

5.10: Bruno Boys Brad - DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers — I wanted a RB2 here no matter what, however I do feel like I’m settling for Williams to some degree. He is slated to become a free agent and only played six games in 2010, but when healthy he has been productive (1,500 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns in 2008). Williams may have a new home, which could lead to more touches and he could make for an underrated PPR option (four seasons with at least 22 catches) if he lands on a team that will use him more as a receiver.

5.11: Bruno Boys Cory - Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota Vikings —  OK, so the quarterback situation with the Minnesota Vikings is a big question mark right now. Yet, I still feel good about my selection of Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin. Last year despite poor play from the quarterback position Harvin caught 71 passes for 868 yards and five touchdowns, and that was just in 14 games. If he gets a little more production from quarterback and is healthy all 16 games — admittedly two big ifs — then I see a breakout season on the horizon for Harvin.

5.12:  Steve Coppola - Steve Johnson, WR, Buffalo Bills — I said after my last pick talent would thin out by the time it came back to me. Drafting in the last spot I have to stick with the strategy of getting the best available person. I was cringing as I watched other potential candidates being drafted off the board one by one. However, Steve Johnson was on my short list of Round 5 targets and I was thrilled to snag him at 5.12. Johnson took over the role as Buffalo’s main receiver in Week 3 after the Bills committed to Ryan Fitzpatrick as their Starting quarterback. He went on to finish the season No. 10 in fantasy points (PPR leagues) at the wide receiver position. Johnson also ranked in top 15 in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. Consider me happy to get this type of value at my WR2 position this late in the draft.

 
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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