Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

With many of you out there in Bruno Boys Nation looking to continue your run at a fantasy championship, we want to make sure you enter Sunday knowing what players we feel you should play with caution. Obviously it’s your team and your gut, so you are the final decision makers, but if these guys fail to get the job done for your fantasy squad don’t say the Bruno Boys didn’t tell you so.  With that being said the Bruno Boys present the Fantasy Football Week 16 Sit Ems.

QUARTERBACKS – SIT ‘EM

Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) vs. Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills pass defense is for real. If you don’t believe us just ask Tom Brady. They held Brady to seven fantasy points in Week 15 and now face Matt Ryan who posted a measly 10 fantasy points against the New York Jets last weekend. While Ryan was a solid option early in the season with good match-ups, this is not a good match-up and Ryan and the Falcons offense isn’t nowhere near as efficient as it was at the start of the season. The Bills have intercepted an NFL-high 24 passes (tied with the New Orleans Saints) this season through 14 games, and with Ryan being turnover happy of late we expect him to struggle in his match-up this weekend. Don’t start him in any format other than a 12 or 14-team league that starts two quarterbacks.

Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Denver

McNabb has been efficient for the Eagles this season, playing as a top-12 fantasy football quarterback even while missing two full games early in the season due to injury. Still, his match-up with your season on the line is not one to be excited about The Denver Broncos pass defense has been stellar over the last four weeks. They allowed just over 10 fantasy points to the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks in Week 15, picked off three Peyton Manning passes in Week 14, held Matt Cassel to just over three fantasy points in Week 13, and held Eli Manning to 230 yards and two2 turnovers in Week 12. With the Broncos’ shutting down opposing quarterbacks over the past four weeks and needing to win out to make the AFC playoffs it’s tough to expect McNabb to put together a game that leads to huge fantasy numbers. Owners are likely to use him as their QB1 but don’t expect a huge performance like we saw from McNabb in Week 15.

Eli Manning (New York Giants) vs. Carolina

Manning had a great Monday Night Football game for fantasy, and real if you’re a NYG fan, purposes; throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns without having to play much of the 4th quarter because of the blowout game. But, this Carolina Panthers defensive unit has became a disruptive defense that hasn’t allowed much to fantasy studs Tom Brady and Brett Favre in successive weeks (416 yards, TD, two interceptions combined). On the season, the Panthers have only given up 9.3 fantasy points per game to the opposition’s quarterback, so don’t be surprised if the Giants use a heavy run game to beat the Panthers on Sunday. More than likely, Manning won’t lose you your fantasy football match-up but he’s probably not going to win it for you either.

RUNNING BACKS – SIT ‘EM

Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts) vs. New York Jets

What’s going to happen with the Colts skill players in terms of playing time is still an unknown. Conflicting rumors have said that the Colts will keep playing their starters to aim for the coveted-not-so-coveted-anymore 16-0. Regardless of what head coach Jim Caldwell decides to do, the New York Jets have the best overall defense and allow only 262 total yards per game. Their run defense is considered a weakness but still allows just 103 yards per game and just 13.9 fantasy points per games. While Addai has been a solid fantasy provider for much of 2009, look deeper into the statistics and you will see how average of a running back he truly has been this season. His greatest rushing game has been 79 yards, he has averaged 3.7 yards per rush in one of the best offenses in the NFL, and his longest rush has gone for 21 yards. Against a solid New York Jets front, he should struggle to find running lanes.

Laurence Maroney (New England Patriots) vs. Jacksonville

Laurence Maroney was solid, yet unspectacular, against a Buffalo Bills defense that ranks dead last in the NFL against the run, as he posted 14 fantasy football points in Week 15. Fast forward one week and things are not nearly as cushy for the fourth year running back. The Jacksonville Jaguars defenses ranks 7th in terms of running back points allowed and has allowed just one team over the last games to run for over 100 yards. With t being clear that you beat the Jaguars’ through the air it should lead Tom Brady and the New England offense using a heavy passing atack, similar to what the Indianapolis Colts did in Week 15. Bill Belichick is the master of exploiting team’s weaknesses, and therefore will ride the coattails of Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker to dominate a Jaguars secondary. 

Potential Bust Running Back of the Week:

Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs) @ Cincinnati

Charles has undoubtedly been the second best running back (behind Chris Johnson) over the past six weeks posting a touchdowns and at least nine fantasy points in every since Week 9. Consistency when you need it most has provided fantasy football owners with great production out of the waiver wire stud. However, the Cincinnati Bengals defense ranks in the top five in fantasy points allowed to running backs and their gameplan will undoubtedly be to contain Charles. While Charles has been a fantasy monster, keep in mind that only one of those six games was against a top-15 run defense (Pittsburgh Steelers) and that three of the others (Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills) rank in the bottom four against the run. Obviously it’s tough to bench your horse and we won’t disagree if you decide to “start your stud” but if he fails to make it seven straight weeks with a touchdown don’t say the Bruno Boys didn’t tell you so.