Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Normal fantasy football leagues have come to an end and what a great season it was. We hope that you did well in your league, or leagues, but if you’re still looking for some fantasy football action while the playoffs go on, and you’re looking for some help then look no further because the Bruno Boys will be here throughout the postseason. As such we’ll be releasing our normal weekly position rankings to help you best decide which players to go with in our Fantasy Football Playoff Challenge. To see where this round’s running backs rank continue reading the Championship Round edition of the Bruno Boys Weekly Running Back Rankings.

1. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) @ New Orleans

Despite the fact that Adrian Peterson lost six fumbles during the regular season, he will once again be a consensus top-three pick in 2010 fantasy football drafts. With his combination of power and speed he is one of the best running backs in the NFL and he will continue to be an elite fantasy option next season. Not only do we expect another great year from Peterson in 2010, we also believe he is the best running back left in the playoffs and he will likely be the top fantasy producer for this weeks playoff contest. In the NFC Championship game he will face a New Orleans Saints that allowed 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week to the Arizona Cardinals. In a game that should be a shootout, look for Vikings to try and use Peterson to establish the running game in order to keep the Saints high-powered offense grounded.
Point Projection: 18 points

2. Shonn Greene (New York Jets) @ Indianapolis

Not only is it surprising too many of us that the Jets are going to the AFC Championship game, but it’s also surprising that they have done so on the legs of rookie running back Shonn Greene, not veteran Thomas Jones. Jones led the way for New York the entire season, but it has been the rookie leading the way in the playoffs. Greene was a preseason sleeper that with the exception of one or two games didn’t pan out for fantasy owners in 2009, but the playoffs have been a different story. Greene has rushed for more than 100-yards in each of the Jets two playoff games, including his 23 carry 128 yard performance last week against the San Diego Chargers that included a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Jets have been winning in the playoffs with an excellent defense and a strong running game and that should continue this week with Greene being the main ball carrier. Consider him a must-start option in the Fantasy Football Playoff Challenge when the Jets take on the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game.
Point Projection: 16 points

3. Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts) vs. New York Jets  **CHECK INJURY STATUS**

In the Colts Divisional playoff victory over the Baltimore Ravens last week Joseph Addai was held to just 23 yards on 11 carries. Granted he was facing one of the better rush defenses in the NFL and he did leave the game with a shoulder injury, but he did return to the game. Addai appears healthy and he is expected to play this week against the New York Jets. With the Jets having a very good pass defense the Colts will likely use the running game to try and take pressure off of Peyton Manning and the passing game. His 828 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns led the way for the Colts during the regular season and Addai should remain the top option in Indianapolis’ rushing attack this week. The Jets had the No. 1 overall defense this year, but Addai should see enough touches in this game to post double digit fantasy football points.
Point Projection: 10 points

4. Reggie Bush (New Orleans Saints) vs. Minnesota

The city of New Orleans, the Saints and their fans had to be extremely excited to see Reggie Bush save his best game of the season for their Divisional playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. He finished the game with five carries for 84 yards, a 46-yard touchdown run, four receptions for 24 yards and he also added an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown. He showed the explosiveness and playmaking ability that appeared to be missing most of the 2009 season. Against a tough run defense like the Minnesota Vikings, Bush is the type of runner who could give them fits. Rather then running at the defensive line, which is the strength of the rush defense, he will use his elusiveness to try and get outside the tackles to make big plays. In this game the former Heisman Trophy winner could very well be the Saints best threat in a crowded backfield.
Point Projection: 10 points

5. Thomas Jones (New York Jets) @ Indianapolis

Thomas Jones was the New York Jets No. 1 running back the entire 2009 football season. He finished the season as the fifth highest scoring fantasy running back and he scored double digit fantasy points in 13 of 16 games. He led the Jets with 331 carries for 1,402 yards with 14 touchdowns during the regular season and he was expected to lead the way in the playoffs as well, but it has not worked out that way. Jones has managed just 29 carries for 74 yards with a touchdown in the teams two playoff games, as he has played second fiddle to rookie Shonn Greene. New York has relied on their running game during their Cinderella playoff run and that should continue this week. Expect Jones to get double figure touches once again this week, but look for Greene to once lead the way for the Jets.
Point Projection: 9 points

6. Pierre Thomas (New Orleans Saints) vs. Minnesota

Between injuries and a stacked Saints’ offense Pierre Thomas didn’t necessarily have the year many fantasy owners expected. He had some very good games that showed signs of what were expected heading into the 2009 campaign, but he was not consistent. He is a strong runner who lost just one fumble on 160 carries, while averaging 5.3 yards per carry and scoring six rushing touchdowns. Thomas also proved to be very effective catching balls out of the backfield as he added 43 receptions for 320 yards with two more touchdowns. One thing that limits Thomas in the Saints offense is a crowded backfield. He will continue to share touches with Reggie Bush and Mike Bell this week against the Minnesota Vikings. With the Vikings sporting one of the best rush defenses in the NFL, look for the Saints to rely on the passing game if they want to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time. Keep you expectation limited for Thomas this week.
Point Projection: 8 points

7. Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) vs. New York Jets

Donald Brown was the Colts first round pick in last years NFL Draft with the expectations that he would be the future at running back in Indianapolis and when you consider that Joseph Addai had an off year in 2008, that future was expected to be as soon as 2009. Addai did put a damper on those plans as he rebounded with a solid season. The play of Addai and a shoulder injury slowed down Brown during his rookie season in which he was limited to 84 carries for 291 yards with three touchdowns. He had six carries for 10 yards and two catches for 15 yards in the teams victory over the Baltimore Ravens last week. Brown will likely receive a few more touches this week against the New York Jets, but not enough to make him a highly rated fantasy football option.
Point Projection: 4 points

8. Chester Taylor (Minnesota Vikings) @ New Orleans

Things didn’t exactly turn out the way Chester Taylor expected when he signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent before the 2006 season. He expected to be the Vikings No. 1 rushing option and he was for one season, then Adrian Peterson fell into the Vikings lap in the 2007 NFL Draft and Taylor immediately became the teams backup. He remains the backup to Peterson and his touches continue to be limited. In their victory over the Dallas Cowboys last week Taylor had just four carries for 23 yards and two receptions for 16 yards. Don’t expect much more from him this week against the New Orleans Saints, as Minnesota will likely rely on the legs of Peterson and the arm of Brett Favre to get them back to the Super Bowl for the first time since losing to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI in 1977. Consider Taylor a low-price, but low-reward running back for this week.
Point Projection: 4 points

9. Mike Bell (New Orleans Saints) vs. Minnesota

Not much was expected of Mike Bell when the season started, but that changed when he filled in for an injured Pierre Thomas, during Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, and rushed for 143-yards on 28 carries. This outing earned him a spot in the Saints running back rotation, but injuries and the fact that he had to share time with both Thomas and Reggie Bush led to just 522 yards over the balance of the year. He is a strong runner, but he is very similar to Thomas without the pass catching ability. He managed just 18 fantasy points over his last five games played and you should not expect much more from him this week against a very tough Minnesota rush defense. Bell is not a recommended fantasy option this week.
Point Projection: 3 points

10. Lynell Hamilton (New Orleans Saints) vs. Minnesota

Lynell Hamilton had five carries for 23 yards with a goal line touchdown in the Saints Divisional playoff victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He is a power running back and is a good option in short yardage and goal line situations, but with the Minnesota Vikings strong rush defense coming to town this week don’t expect Hamilton to see more than a couple of touches. Even at a very low price Hamilton would be a risky option this week and shouldn’t be anywhere near your fantasy football lineup.
Point Projection: 1 point

11. Mike Hart (Indianapolis Colts) vs. New York Jets

Mike Hart was not even on the Colts 53-man roster at the start of the season, but he did manage to find his way onto the roster as the season wore on. Hart scored his first ever NFL touchdown in Week 17, but that was when the Colts were resting many of their starters. He recorded 15 fantasy points over Indianapolis’ final five games and Hart did have seven touches last week against the Baltimore Ravens, but he was held to just 20 total yards. Don’t expect Hart to touch the ball very much, if at all, in the AFC Championship game and he is not worth using this week in the Fantasy Football Playoff Challenge.
Point Projection: 1 point

Championship Round Rankings:  QB  |  RB  |  WR  |  TE  |  K  | DEF  (click to read)

Championship Round Start & Sit:  START ‘EM  |  SIT ‘EM  (click to read)

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