Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

It is time again to take a look at the guys who went above and beyond in fantasy football for Week 16. Join Ryan Hallam, staff writer at Fantasy Alarm, as he chronicles the guys who gave their owners more than they hoped for and likely led them to victory. Also, check back later tonight as he dives into the Week 16 Duds. And if you have any questions for him, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for Week 17 fantasy football advice.

Note: All point projections read in this recap are from standard scoring leagues (non-PPR) and are projections made by the Bruno Boys staff

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers – In his return from missing a game because of a concussion, Rodgers looked like he never missed a beat.  He absolutely torched the Giants as he was 25/37 for 404 yards and four touchdowns.  Rodgers also ran the ball twice for another 26 yards.  He was supposed to be able to score 18 fantasy points, which made him a top five quarterback option, however Rodgers nearly doubled that as he scored 34. 

Hallam’s Take: This comes as a slight surprise as Rodgers was just coming back from a concussion and facing a team with a great pass rush, but the outcome isn’t all that farfetched.  Rodgers is one of the best in the league and will be for a very long time.  He could be a first round pick again next season in fantasy drafts.

Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Trying to keep his team in the playoff hunt, Freeman had a career day.  He was an incredibly efficient 21/26 for 237 yards and five touchdowns.  He also had four carries for an additional 23 yards.  Freeman was looked upon to be a low-end QB1 with a 16 point projection against the Seahawks but crushed that on his way to a 31 point outburst. 

Hallam’s Take: It seems that the future will be bright for young Josh Freeman, although I am not sure when he will add consistency to part of his repertoire of skills.  There are games that Freeman looks like an elite quarterback and there are also many that he looks average at best.  The good news is that he didn’t really have many games where he cost his team the game and should be able to continue to progress in 2011.  He likely won’t be a starting fantasy quarterback next season, but perhaps could be by the end of the year. 

Carson Palmer, QB, Cincinnati Bengals – Palmer’s season has been so bad that many have speculated that the Bengals might look in another direction for a starting quarterback next season.  He made his case to keep his job on Sunday as he was 16/21 for 269 yards and four touchdowns.  Not much was expected out of Palmer, just eleven points but he smoked that as he scored 26 huge points in Week 16. 

Hallam’s Take: Where in the world has this been all year long?  Palmer looked like the guy from a few years ago when the Bengals were actually a decent NFL team, but it has been a tire fire this year.  It is almost a given that Terrell Owens won’t be back next year, so Palmer’s top target will be gone.  You will have to see what happens in Cincy in the offseason, but it doesn’t appear that Palmer will be someone to draft as a starting fantasy quarterback in 2011. 

Danny Woodhead, RB, New England Patriots – Woodhead has been Mr. Everything for the Patriots offense this season, even though most of the time he hasn’t put up huge fantasy numbers.  That wasn’t the case against the Bills as he had 13 carries for 93 yards and a rushing touchdown.  He also had three catches for an additional 32 yards.  He was only supposed to have scored nine fantasy points, but was able to double that with an 18 point output. 

Hallam’s Take: Woodhead has been a good player for those of you in PPR leagues, but he has never really had a consistent role on this team.  He has always had a handful of carries and a handful of receptions, but rarely has it been this much production that he could help you on a weekly basis.  This is one that you will have to see how the Patriots handle their personnel in the offseason to see how much they will rely on Woodhead next year, based on what he has shown I wouldn’t be shocked if the Pats did rely on him more in the future. 

John Kuhn, RB, Green Bay Packers –Big John Kuhn had the best fantasy day of his entire career, and one that he is likely never to get close to again for the rest of his life.  He carried the ball just six times for 22 yards, but two of them were for scores.  He also had two catches for seven yards, but one of them were for a touchdown as well.  He wasn’t a part of the Bruno Boys weekly running back rankings because he hasn’t had a fantasy impact in weeks, but he was able to score a big 20 points against the Giants. 

Hallam’s Take: There were a few weeks in the middle of the season where Kuhn was a fantasy factor, but it was short lived.  He is best served as a guy you give the ball to a few times a game and should not be considered a part of the game plan.  He could get some cheap touchdowns, but he isn’t a guy who is going to have a fantasy impact in the future. 

Mario Manningham, WR, New York Giants – Despite his quarterback’s four interceptions, there were still plenty of yards to go around for Giant receivers and Manningham made the most of his chances.  Including his 85 yard touchdown, Manningham had four catches for 132 yards.  He was only looked upon to score nine fantasy points but did far better than that as he was able to score nineteen points for his owners. 

Hallam’s Take: The injury to Steve Smith opened the door for Manningham to prove his worth and he has taken full advantage of it with a few really good games.  His value next year will likely be limited again as I don’t see any way that the Giants don’t go with Hakeem Nicks and Smith as the starters.  In deeper leagues he could be worth a roster spot, and if there are ever injuries to the Giants receivers in the future he is someone that you have to grab right away. 

Andre Roberts, WR, Arizona Cardinals – It seemed that he was looked upon by rookie John Skelton on every single play on Christmas Night and Roberts had the game of his career.  On the night he had five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.  Given the fact that he had one catch in the last three weeks, it makes sense that he wasn’t included in the Bruno Boys weekly wide receiver rankings, but he was able to score a huge 17 fantasy points on the night. 

Hallam’s Take: I am not sure why Skelton continued to just lock on Roberts the entire game when he had Larry Fitzgerald on the same field, but it was a great game for Roberts.  I have no confidence in him next week against the 49ers even if Skelton is behind center as I am sure this was a one game wonder.  If your league plays into the final week, don’t pick him up in the hopes he will duplicate this effort. 

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs – After weeks of letting his fantasy owners down following a fall of huge fantasy numbers, Bowe returned to the promised land and came through in the most opportune time.  He had six huge catches for 153 yards and a touchdown.  Because of his recent struggles, Bowe was only supposed to score ten points on the day, but more than doubled that as he put up 21.