Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

::The Bruno Boys are proud to introduce fantasy football writer Jeff Bunney. Bruno Boys Bunney has been tackling a weekly feature in which he takes a look “beyond the box score” and brings to our readers’ attention some scenarios that happened each week that in knowing could help your fantasy team down the road. Enjoy and let us know if you have any suggestions::

For those of you who weren’t able to catch my first handful of articles with this new weekly feature, let me briefly run through the premise behind “Carrots or Karats.” Each week situations occur that either helped or hurt certain fantasy players throughout the weekend. For instance, a wide receiver gets tackled at the one yard line and the next play the quarterback scores on a sneak; a running back gets two shots from the one yard line, then the team goes with a play-action pass to the tight end. You all know what I’m talking about, the little things that have A LOT to do with luck. Well in “Carrots or Karats,” I break these situations down for you. All you need to know is a “Carrot” means the fantasy situation DID NOT benefit the player, while a “Karat” means the fantasy situation DID benefit the player. With that covered, let’s dive into the review of Week 9.

Tom Brady and Randy Moss each had excellent games on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, but, of course, it could have been better. In the 1st quarter Brady hit Moss on a nice 36-yard pass but Moss couldn’t get into the end zone and was tackled at the 1-yard line. Next play? Rushing touchdown for Laurence Maroney. Carrot for Brady and Moss (don’t feel too sorry for them) and Karat for Maroney. By the way, Maroney’s scored in three straight games.

Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown was fortunate enough that a Chad Henne to Greg Camarillo pass got the Dolphins down to the New England Patriots 2-yard line. The next play was the Wildcat formation where Brown took a direct snap and rushed to the half-yard line. Next play? Play-action (if you count a direct snap to a RB who looks like he’s going to run ‘play-action) touchdown pass to TE Joey Haynos (yes, that Joey Haynos. He owes me five bucks.) Carrot for Henne and Camarillo. Karat for Brown and Haynos.

Matt Schaub’s day could have been better had Andre Johnson been able to score late in the 3rd quarter. Schaub hit Johnson, who took it down to the Colts’ 2-yard line. Schaub got the call on the next play but wasn’t able to score on a QB sneak. The next play Chris Brown got stuffed and then the walking fumble Steve Slaton got the call and scored a rushing touchdown form the 1-yard line. Carrots for Schaub, Johnson and Brown. Karat for Slaton for being the vulture of a touchdown.

Greg Olson had a huge day on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but it was almost less stellar. Early in the 4th quarter Olson caught a Jay Cutler pass and took it six yards to the Cardinals’ 3-yard line. Olson’s fantasy football owners were bumming until the very next play when Cutler hit Olson for a 3-yard TD pass. Karats for Olson and Cutler.

Peyton Manning had another 300-yard game Sunday against the Houston Texans, but only (‘only’ in the Peyton Manning sense of the word) had one touchdown pass. He almost had a second when he connected on a 5-yard pass to Reggie Wayne, who took it down the the Texans’ 2-yard line. Joseph Addai rushed for a TD on the next play. Carrots for Manning and Wayne, Karat for Addai.

Though not many fantasy football owners were in a position to start the Detroit Lions D/ST against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, those that did were six short feet from a pick-6. In the first quarter, Lions FS Louis Delmas intercepted Matt Hasselbeck and returned it to the ‘Hawks 2-yard line. (It’s amazing sometimes how defensive players don’t have a nose for the end zone. I guess that’s why they’re DBs otherwise they’d be WRs). On the next play from scrimmage, Detroit was penalized five yards, moving the ball back to the 7-yard line, which led to the Lions sending in their basic package (the goal-line team was in at the two). On the next play after the penalty, Matthew Stafford hit Brandon Pettigrew for a touchdown. Carrots for Detroit D/ST, Karats for Stafford and Pettigrew.

Tennessee Titans’ RB Chris Johnson scored his first sub-50-yard touchdown Sunday, against the San Francisco 49ers. He actually had two short-yardage touchdowns (sorry Lendale White owners), one of which came after Johnson had appeared to score on an 81-yard TD run. However, the long TD run was called back after a 49ers challenge showed that Johnson stepped out on the Niners’ 40-yard line. Five plays later on 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 2-yard line, Lendale White (remember him?) was stuffed for no gain. Next play… Shades of Vince Young in a Texas Longhorn uniform, as on 4th and 1 the Titans ran a QB option left and Young pitched it to Johnson who tiptoed along the sideline for the TD. Carrot for Lendale and Johnson (for those of you in long-TD bonus leagues only) and a Karat for Johnson.

New Orleans Saints’ QB Drew Brees had another 300-yard game and added a touchdown to go with it. Unfortunately for Brees’ owners, speedster WR Devery Henderson wasn’t able to elude enough Carolina Panthers defense to score on a 63-yard pass. Usually if Henderson gets a 63-yard pass, it’s a touchdown for sure. Not so in this case, as on the next play RB Pierre Thomas scored on a 10-yard run. Carrots for Brees and Henderson, Karat for Thomas.

The New York Giants defense had the same problem as the Detroit Lions D/ST on Sunday, intercepting a Philip Rivers pass and returning it to the San Diego Chargers’ 4-yard line. Up three points in the 4th quarter, it was imperative that the G-Men punch it in. They tried. Unfortunately, on the first play, the Giants were penalized for holding, moving the ball back to the 14-yard line. The next play was incomplete from Eli Manning to Hakeem Nicks, then two Brandon Jacobs runs took it to the 4-yard line. After those conservative plays were called, it wasn’t a surprise that head coach Tom Coughlin chose to kick a field goal to put the Giants up six with just over a minute to play. Rivers then led the Chargers to victory, hitting Vincent Jackson for an 18-yard TD with 29 seconds to play. Carrots for Manning, Hicks, Jacobs, the Giants’ fans, the Giants’ D and Coughlin. Karats for Rivers, Jackson and fans of the Chargers.

Seattle Seahawks’ QB Matt Hasselbeck had a nice day as he went for 300+ yards and a touchdown. The touchdown pass came on the play following a 15-yard pass to TE John Carlson to the Detroit Lions’ 2-yard line. On 1st-and-goal, Hasselbeck hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a short touchdown pass. Carrot for Carlson, Karats for Hasselbeck and Housh.

Tony Romo was another QB who threw for over 300 yards with one touchdown on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he was very close to a couple more. In the 1st quarter he hit Cowboys’ WR Kevin Ogletree on a pass down to the Eagles’ 2-yard line. Next play… Direct snap to RB Tashard Choice, who ran it in for the short yardage touchdown. In the 2nd quarter he completed another pass to Ogletree to the Eagles’ 4-yard line. Three incomplete passes later (including one in which he didn’t see an absolutely wide open Jason Witten), the Cowboys settled for a Nick Folk three pointer. Carrots for Romo and Ogletree, Karat for Choice and Folk.

WEEK 9 HOT READS

Chris Johnson has the highest yards-per-carry after 9 games (6.7) than any RB since 1970.

The Philadelphia Eagles D/ST had a punt return for touchdown called back due to penalty.

Chris Johnson has the highest yards-per-carry after 9 games (6.7) than any RB since 1970.

Michael Turner has scored at least one rushing touchdown every week since week one.

The New England Patriots D/ST had a fumble recovery for touchdown called back due to penalty.

The New Orleans Saints D/ST has more touchdowns this season than the Cleveland Browns’ offense.

Peyton Manning overthrew both Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon on certain touchdown passes- both had 2-3 steps on the closest defender.

DeAngelo Williams dropped two almost-sure touchdown receptions Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. One at the 5-yard line, one at the 1-yard line.

Two of Kurt Warner’s five touchdown passes were the result of amazing effort by his WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. Both wide outs stretched and reached the end zone by a matter of inches.

Marques Colston (a frequent player on these pages) dropped two catchable touchdown passes against the Carolina Panthers. He’s missed out on 4-5 touchdowns due to drops, official reviews and getting tackled inside the five.

After last week’s touchdown pass by Indianapolis Colts’ RB Joseph Addai, they went to the well again and, for some reason, allowed Reggie Wayne to throw a pass. It was intercepted. Someone remind the Colts that they have Peyton Manning to do the passing.

Kurt Warner had thrown 4 touchdowns passes against the Chicago Bears when HC Ken Whisenhunt decided the Cardinals’ lead was big enough to bring in QB Matt Leinart. After a Leinart pick led to a Bears’ TD, Warner was back in and ended up throwing his 5th TD of the day.

Week 10 Rankings:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  | DEF    (click to read)

Week 10 Start & Sit:  START ‘EM  | SIT ‘EM    (click to read)

Week 10 Waiver Wire Advice:  PICK THEM UP  |  CUT THEM LOOSE     (click to read)

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