Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Brad Berreman
- Edited by Allie Fontana
- Predictions are based on Staff Consensus

The 2010 NFL season kicks off on Thursday night with a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game, and fantasy football owners also hope to get off to a fast start this season.  No one has a proverbial “stud” at every position, therefore a couple of well-chosen starters can often lead to victory in certain weeks. On that note, here are the Bruno Boys’ “Start Ems” for Week 1.

QUARTERBACKS-START ‘EM

Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers) @ Kansas City

Despite the current absence of wide receiver Vincent Jackson and offensive tackle Marcus McNeill, Rivers still has plenty of weapons at his disposal, most notably star tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Malcom Floyd.  Newly acquired wide receiver Patrick Crayton could also help some, while running back Darren Sproles, who has a great track record against Kansas City, is a swing pass option for Rivers out of the backfield. 

The Chiefs added playmaking safety and first-round pick Eric Berry to bolster their weak secondary, but not much else. Kansas City’s front seven has had trouble generating much of a pass rush, and the Chiefs have a lot of young, unproven talent in key spots on the defense. Rivers owned the Chiefs in two games last season, throwing for 585 yards and five touchdowns. His Week 1 matchup against the Kansas City makes Rivers a must start and his production should make his fantasy owners happy.

Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears) vs. Detroit

New Bears’ offensive coordinator Mike Martz brings his pass-happy scheme to the Windy City in 2010, and Cutler stands to benefit. Cutler threw 26 interceptions in his first season in Chicago, which overshadowed the his 3,666 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. He gets a favorable matchup in Week 1 against a Lions’ defense that ranked dead last against the pass and intercepted just nine passes in 2009.  Sunday could be the start of a happy and productive marriage between Cutler and Martz, which is something that Cutler’s fantasy football owners would gladly celebrate.

Kevin Kolb (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Green Bay

Kolb takes over as the Eagles’ starting quarterback and on field leader of Andy Reid’s pass-heavy offense. The Green Bay Packers have a tough defense overall, however their secondary will take the field without two starters, cornerback Al Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby. Kolb has a nice array of weapons at his disposal including wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, tight end Brent Celek, and playmaking running back LeSean McCoy out of the backfield. He could find success in the air provided the Eagles’ offensive line does a good job of protecting him. Philadelphia may struggle to move the ball on the ground against a Packers’ defense that ranked first in the NFL against the run in 2009.  That should lead to plenty of pass attempts from Kolb this week, and he could be forced to throw the ball more often than not should the Eagles fall behind.

POTENTIAL QB SLEEPER PICK OF THE WEEK

Derek Anderson (Arizona Cardinals) @ St. Louis

Arizona settled on Anderson as their starting quarterback for Week 1 after dumping Matt Leinart at the end of preseason play. Fortunately for Anderson, he gets a favorable matchup against the lowly St. Louis Rams in his first regular season start under center.  Anderson had a Pro Bowl season in 2007 with the Cleveland Browns, when he passed for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns. While it remains to be seen whether Anderson has what it takes to lead the Cardinals offense over the course of the season, he has great fantasy potential against St. Louis. Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald returns to the lineup after injuring his knee in the first preseason game and should be Anderson’s primary target in the air. Receivers Steve Breaston and Early Doucet are also viable weapons in the passing game You probably won’t start Anderson in the majority of 12-team standard leagues, however for owners that took a late flier on him, he is worth considering in deeper formats based on his Week 1 matchup.

RUNNING BACKS-START ‘EM

Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Atlanta

With Dennis Dixon starting his second NFL game at quarterback, Mendenhall stands to see a heavy workload in the Steelers’ season opener at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Pittsburgh’s offense simply can’t be as pass-heavy while Ben Roethlisberger serves his four-game suspension. The team will look to Dixon to manage the game, while Mendenhall will be the workhorse out of the backfield. The Falcons’ defense ranked No.10 in the league against the run last season, allowing opponents an average of 106.9 yards on the ground. Atlanta expects the Steelers to run the ball on Sunday and they’ll attempt to stack the box against Mendenhall and force Dixon to try and beat them through the air – a somewhat risky strategy considering the Falcons defense finished No. 28 against the pass in 2009. It could be tough going for Mendenhall and the Steelers on Sunday, but that won’t deter them from pounding the ball. Mendenhall is likely to get 20-25 touches this week, which could lead to solid fantasy production to start the season. Circumstances make Mendenhall a better RB2 than RB1 this week, however he is a safe bet for double-digit fantasy points.

Ronnie Brown (Miami Dolphins) @ Buffalo

Miami dominated the Buffalo Bills in 2009 and the 2010 season opener should be no different. While the Bills were second best in the league against the pass, they ranked No. 30 against the run. It’s a no-brainer that the Dolphins will look to run the ball early and often against a Buffalo squad that already lost a few key players and switched to a new defensive scheme in the offseason. This is a great matchup for a healthy Ronnie Brown, who returns to Miami’s starting lineup following a season-ending foot injury last November. In 2009, Brown shredded the Buffalo defense in a Week 4 contest a home, carrying the rock 20 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Brown should have no trouble getting his mojo back against the Bills, even splitting carries in a rotation with Ricky Williams. It would not be surprising to see both Brown and Williams rack up yardage and score against the Bills, however we give the edge to Brown this week. Start him with confidence as your No. 2 running back.

Jerome Harrison (Cleveland Browns) @ Tampa Bay

The Browns have to like their chances to start the 2010 season with a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and running back Jerome Harrison just might be the guy to lead the Week 1 charge. Harrison is Cleveland’s undisputed No. 1 running back with rookie Montario Hardesty out for the season with a torn ACL. With the sometimes erratic Jake Delhomme under center and largely unproven talent in the passing game, the Browns’ offense should focus heavily on the run. Cleveland’s head coach Eric Mangini suggested that Harrison is in for a substantial workload this season, which bodes well for the fifth-year back’s fantasy potential in Week 1 and beyond.

Harrison has a favorable matchup this week against a Tampa Bay defense that ranked dead last in the league against the run in 2009. Not only do the Bucs have a lot of unproven talent in key defensive positions, they will play the first game without cornerback Aqib Talib who is on suspension. Harrison will get a lot of work as a dual-threat out of the backfield and could see the end zone at least once in Week 1. He makes a solid RB2 or flex play with upside in standard leagues.

Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) @ St. Louis

The Cardinals’ running game looks to be front and center in the desert this season following Kurt Warner’s retirement. That should sit well with running back Chris Wells, who finished his rookie campaign on a high note, rushing for 483 yards and six touchdowns over the final eight games of the season. Arizona opens the 2010 season against NFC West Division rival the St. Louis Rams. Wells put up 175 yards and two touchdowns in two games against the Rams in 2009. Although teammate Tim Hightower was named the Cardinals’ starting tailback for Week 1, Wells is certain to see his fair share of carries provided he plays. Unfortunately for Wells’ fantasy owners, the second year back injured his knee in the preseason finale against the Washington Redskins. He appears to be a game-time decision. A healthy Wells would make a solid Week 1 starter, however if you have other options, you might consider putting them in your lineup instead.  **IF WELLS DOESN’T PLAY, OR PLAYS IN LIMITED CAPACITY, TIM HIGHTOWER BECOMES A START ‘EM**

POTENTIAL RB SLEEPER PICK OF THE WEEK

Chester Taylor (Chicago Bears) vs. Detroit

Taylor signed with the Bears in the offseason after four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. His skill set is well-matched to the pass-heavy scheme favored by Chicago’s offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Taylor is very capable in blitz pickup and has caught 40 or more passes in four of the last five seasons. Matt Forte will see a lot of playing time as well, but the Detroit Lions’ defense is inept enough to make both running backs potential fantasy options for Week 1.  Taylor is best used in deeper standard and PPR leagues this week.