Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

You've all heard of that old saying "You Snooze, You Lose" right?  Well, if you haven't, let us introduce you to the Bruno Boys philosophy on finding those diamond in the rough fantasy football impact players for the upcoming season. We like to call our traditional sleeper rankings, Snooze Alarm rankings, because we focus on players who are virtually unheard of coming into the season, or they are undervalued because they might have suffered an injury or inconsistent play in the previous season. Often times, these are the exact same players who either outperform their average draft position in fantasy football drafts by seasons end, or they hit your league as a free agent, but finish as a top performer on a weekly basis.  For example, in 2007 we coined the likes of Jay Cutler, Marshawn Lynch, Santonio Holmes, Owen Daniels, and the Green Bay Packers defense as players who will be drafted in the middle to late rounds of your draft, but play outplay some of the top players at their respective positions.  All five of the players list above, exceeded expectations and finished in the top 15 fantasy points wise at their position.

With that being said, please read on and enjoy the Bruno Boys Wide Receiver "Snooze Alarm" Rankings. Doing so, will allow you to make a late round steal to add much coveted depth to your fantasy football roster.

Ranking System: The higher the "Snooze Alarm" Ranking, the more sleeper value the player has.
-------------------

Patrick Crayton - Dallas Cowboys

When the Dallas Cowboys decided to cut ties with veteran wide receiver Terry Glenn, this was the break that Patrick Crayton needed to establish himself as a bona-fide number two receiver in the NFL.  Entering his fifth season as a member of the Cowboys, Crayton has seen his role as well as his statistics increase on a yearly basis.  His steady growth has made the Cowboys believers (they haven't drafted a high profile receiver in years), and leads us to believe that Crayton will reward his fantasy football owners with a breakout campaign in 2008.  His 7 touchdown receptions tied Jason Witten for second on the team and his 50 receptions for 697 receiving yards shattered his previous high of 36 receptions for 516 receiving yards.

With the Cowboys offense scoring at a rapid pace (28.4 point per game) in 2007 and Crayton's role in the offense increasing, there is plenty of reason to believe that Crayton should see noticeable increase in his receptions and yardage totals.  With teams focusing the majority of their attention to Terrell Owens and Witten, Crayton should be able to use his speed and big play ability (6 plays over 25 yards) to his advantage as he will be dealing with just single coverage the majority of the time. Plus, as quarterback Tony Romo begins to mature, he will make smarter decisions with the football, meaning that Crayton should be the beneficiary of Romo not forcing the ball into the hands of Owens or Witten.

Finally, Crayton has the schedule in his favor, as the Cowboys take on some of the most suspect pass defenses in the NFL this year.  Solo games against non-divisional opponents like the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams and the Baltimore Ravens should help his overall numbers. Because of this, Crayton receives FOUR SNOOZE ALARMS.

Ranked 39th, in our 2008 Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets you better believe Crayton will be one of those players who will outperform his average draft position. In fact, don't be surprised if he hauls in close to 75 receptions this year, and plays his way into a bottom tier second wide receiver or a solid third option.
------------------- 

Sidney Rice - Minnesota Vikings

You might call us crazy to list a Minnesota Vikings wide receiver on our "Snooze Alarm" sleeper list, but in our opinion Sidney Rice is one of those wide receivers that will get little attention come draft day, but be a hot waiver wire commodity within the seasons first month. So, why not snag him towards the end of your draft and get what we like to call a "diamond in the rough" from week 1, instead of having to place a waiver claim on him once we has a breakout week?  If you take a closer look into Rice's 2007 statistics, you will see that the rookie became a reliable option for quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and a was able to be a big target in the red zone, as well as a speed burner down the side line. He scored four touchdowns, with two of them coming from 15 yards or less, and two of them coming from 40 yards or more.  This shows us that he has the speed to beat the defender off the snap, but the size (6'4'') to haul in the jump ball in the red zone.  These are intangibles that NFL scouts rave about, and fantasy football owners should make not of.

One of the primary reasons as to why us Bruno Boys feel Rice should be able to excel in just his second season is because of the free agent signing of wide receiver Bernard Berrian. Known for his game changing speed, Berrian can stretch the field and make defenders cover the deep ball, while the stronger and more physical Rice can run intermediate routes against single coverage. From there, he can make a quick move after the reception and use his breakaway speed to rack up some big gains after the catch.  However, his yard after catch average was just 3.0 yards in '07, but with the addition of a proven wide receiver, Rice will have more room to get free.  Plus, we haven't even mentioned All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson and what he does for the passing game. Teams will have to focus on containing Peterson, and making Jackson beat them, which should lead to multiple stacked boxes until Jackson proves to defensive coordinators around the league that he is accurate enough to win football games.  Because of this, we feel that Rice deserves THREE SNOOZE ALARMS, as he is one of the biggest sleepers of the 2008 season.

Ranked 50th in our 2008 Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets, Rice should be able to improve on his '07 totals of 31 receptions, 396 receiving yards and four touchdowns. In fact, you can look for the 22-year old receiver to total around 50-55 receptions for 700-750 receiving yards and 5-6 touchdowns in just his second season. Still, he is a guy that you can hold off on until late in the draft, and snag him after you are solidified at other positions.
------------------- 

D.J Hackett - Carolina Panthers

Right when D.J. Hackett joined forces with the Carolina Panthers, he was one of those fantasy football players that jumped out to us as a potential "Snooze Alarm" wide receiver for 2008. As a member of the Seattle Seahawks in 2007, Hackett was productive when healthy, as he hauled in 32 receptions for 384 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in just six games. Those statistics are impressive for a receiver that was never able to get into a groove last year, as he missed at least four games on two different occasions. In fact, if it weren't for a nagging ankle injury, we probably wouldn't be discussing Hackett as a sleeper in 2008, because if healthy he was on pace to surpass 80 receptions and score eight touchdowns in Seattle. 

We know that Hackett has already dealt with the same ankle injury in training camp, but with Steve Smith getting suspended two games for beating up teammate Ken Lucas, Hackett should see an increased role in the offense from the get-go. If he can get healthy enough for the opener (reports indicate he should), Hackett will play along side Muhsin Muhammad as the starting wide receiver in Carolina, and he should see plenty of targets, as quarterback Jake Delhomme looks to get off to a quick start like he did in 2007. Even when Smith returns in week three, Hackett should be lining up against second rate corner backs and probably won't be seeing much safety side help.  This should allow Hackett to pick on single coverage, and us Bruno Boys feel that if  Hackett can stay healthy for 16 games, he should be able to close in on 70 receptions.  His injury concern scares us, but we consider Hackett one of those boom or busy type picks and because of this Hackett receives TWO SNOOZE ALARMS.

Ranked 44th in our 2008 Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets, Hackett is one of those receivers that can easily work his way into a top 30 option. The only reason we are hesitant to move him up the ranks is because of his injury history. He has missed 15 games in just a three year career, and that is some extra baggage that you don't want to have to worry about, unless you are snagging him as your fifth (WR5) receiver and monitoring his progression before relying on him. Also, you should consider targeting him as a handcuff to Smith, while the All-Pro receiver is watching the first two games from the sidelines.
------------------- 

James Hardy - Buffalo Bills

More often than not, rookie wide receivers are a crap shoot in their first season.  Out of all the positions in the NFL, the wide receiver position is the toughest one to grasp during the transition from college football to the pro game.  Because of this, we are usually reluctant to recomend any rookie wide outs to fantasy football owners (unless your name is Calvin Johnson), but despite being raw, us Bruno Boys think Buffalo Bills wide receiver James Hardy could be the best of the 2008 draft class.  Hardy joins a Bills offense that has struggled mightily with their passing game since the days of Eric Moulds, but we feel that his size (6'7'') as well as his speed (4.47- 40 Yard Dash) will create multiple matchup problems from opposing teams.  In fact, this was evident in the Bills preseason opener this past weekend, as Hardy used his size to haul in a 16-yard touchdown reception from backup quarterback J.P. Losman.

If the Bills give him the starting position alongside Lee Evans from the get-go, you can expect him to be a red zone threat, as he will tower over most corner backs, and being an ex-basketball player, Hardy has the vertical (37 inches) leaping ability to pluck footballs out of the air. In our opinion, he could be the player the Bills need to rejuvanate a stale passing attack. Because of this Hardy receives ONE SNOOZE ALARM, as he is a deep, deep sleeper and one that should probably be drafted in the last two rounds of your draft.

Ranked 58th in our 2008 Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets, Hardy is competing for the starting position in Buffalo and should be a sure bet to see significant playing time around the red zone.  One thing he must improve on is learning the playbook, as he lined up completly out of position during the Bills preseason loss to the Washington Redskins.
-------------------

Position by Position BUST Rankings  (click to view)

Bring out the Pepto (Bust) Rankings - Quarterbacks

Bring out the Pepto (Bust) Rankings - Running Backs

Bring out the Pepto (Bust) Rankings - Wide Receivers

Bring out the Pepto (Bust) Rankings - Tight Ends

Bring out the Pepto (Bust) Rankings - Kickers

Bring out the Pepto (Bust) Rankings - Team Defenses
------------------- 

Position by Position Sleeper Rankings  (click to view)

Snooze Alarm (Sleeper) Rankings - Quarterbacks

Snooze Alarm (Sleeper) Rankings - Running Backs

Snooze Alarm (Sleeper) Rankings - Wide Receivers

Snooze Alarm (Sleeper) Rankings - Tight Ends

Snooze Alarm (Sleeper) Rankings - Kickers

Snooze Alarm (Sleeper) Rankings - Team Defenses

--------------------

::Questions? Comments? How about you SIGN UP for an account and leave a comment. Plus, by signing up you can MANAGE ALL of your FANTASY FOOTBALL teams from ONE ACCOUNT::