Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

What a great week it has been. Not only is it time to celebrate Independence Day (which means a three-day weekend for many of us), it’s also officially time to start studying for your 2009 fantasy football draft and the Bruno Boys have never been more excited to be here to help you. This is a huge week for Bruno Boys Fantasy Football. First was the launch of our website, which gives us a fresh new look and feel. Secondly is the release of the most comprehensive and most informative source of fantasy football information available for free on the internet, the 2009 Bruno Boys Cheat Sheets Webazine.

For this week‘s Fantasy Football Impact: NFL News and Notes, the Bruno Boys wanted to take the time to point out some of the NFL players who are currently still free agents and evaluate their potential fantasy football impact entering ‘09

Edgerrin James, Running Back, FA 

James had a bit of an up and down season in 2008. He started the season as the Arizona Cardinals starting running back, until he lost playing time and eventually the starting position to rookie Tim Hightower. Then during what was a pretty magical Cardinal playoff run, Arizona starting giving the ball to James once again and he did not disappoint.

Edge finished the regular season with 133 carries for 514 yards with three touchdowns, while he added 61 carries for 236 yards with one touchdown in the playoffs. James is a 10-year NFL veteran and will be 31 years old this season. It is unlikely that he will ever be anything more then a reserve fantasy running back the rest of his career, but if he finds a team in free agency where he can get 10-15 touches a game, he might just have some fantasy football value left. James will be worth a late round pick as a reserve fantasy running back, depending on where he ends up playing.

Plaxico Burress, Wide Receiver. FA

It’s amazing how much things can change in one short year. This time last year Plaxico Burress was looking for a new multi-year contract (which he would receive) from the New York Giants. He was coming off a season in which he helped lead the Giants to the Super Bowl Championship. He had 70 catches during the 2007 regular season for 1025 yards with 12 touchdowns. Fast forward one year and Burress is no longer a member of the Giants as he is awaiting a court case for accidentally shooting himself in a night club with an unlicensed handgun.

Burress only played in 10 games last season as he missed games due to injury before being placed on the non-football injury reserve list, ending his season after the accidental shooting. Because his pending court case was adjourned until September 23rd, his trial might not start until the spring of 2010, leaving a chance for him to play in 2009.

Before you get too excited you must realize that if he finds a team to play with and gets clearance from the league to play, he will need to be healthy, get into game shape and learn the team’s offense before he will have any fantasy football value. In the perfect situation Burress is a high-end fantasy WR2, but it does not appear that the perfect situation will arise in 2009.

Marvin Harrison, Wide Receiver, FA

Marvin Harrison was released by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason after spending 13 seasons with the team. He had 60 catches for 636 yards with five touchdown in 2008, a far cry from the wide receiver who had over 80 catches and 1,100 yards a season for eight straight years from 1999 to 2006.

Harrison will be 37 when the season starts, he has bad knees and it definitely appears his best days are behind him. He does not appear to have much value heading into the 2009 season, but it is worth keeping an eye on where he ends up. If he gets in the right situation he may be worth a look as a WR4 or WR5 as a reserve wide receiver and maybe even spot starter when there is a good match-up.

Warrick Dunn, Running Back, FA

Dunn was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason and he is still looking for a team to play on. He appears to have some gas left in the tank as he led the Buccaneers in rushing in 2008 when he had 186 carries for 786 yards, but he only managed two touchdowns and only has 15 touchdowns over the last four seasons.

Dunn does have added value as he has good hands out of the backfield, he posted 47 receptions for 330 yards last season. He will make a good last round pick in fantasy drafts this summer as a reserve running back and if he winds up in a good situation he could end up making a spot start as a bye week or injury replacement.

Deuce McAllister, Running Back, FA

Deuce McAllister had hoped for a much more productive season in 2008, even while coming off his second ACL injury in three seasons. But he only managed 107 carries for 418 yards with five touchdowns, while starting only six games. The Saints released the recently oft-injured running back this February.

McAllister will likely catch on with another team as a reserve in 2009. It is unlikely that he will have any significant fantasy value and he should be avoided by fantasy teams at this time. He is a player worth scouting when he catches on with another team.

John Carney, Kicker, FA

So many of you may not be studying the kicker position during the first week of July, but after the season that John Carney had in 2008 for the New York Giants how could we not mention him here. Carney was signed just before the start of the regular season in 2008 as an injury replacement for Lawrence Tynes. All he did was go on to hit 35 of 38 field goal attempts, while adding 38 extra points.

Carney was not resigned by the Giants and is currently a free agent and if he catches on in the right system could be a nice low-end starting fantasy football kicker. He is not worth owning until he signs with another team and even then he should be available in the final round of fantasy drafts or on the waiver wire.

Finally, In preparation for a fantasy 2009 season, we have expanded our staff and will be here throughout the summer updating our website and to give you the most up-to-date fantasy football news possible. We are also available to chat with you in our Bruno Boys Forums, so please join in some great fantasy football conversation.