Saturday, July 6, 2013

Fantasy Analysis: Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin & Kirk Cousins
Griffin is a big time gamer. And it shows. It shows when he runs for a 12 yard gain, or when he limps out on the field during the playoffs to attempt to lead his team back to victory. He’ll need to curb that enthusiasm a little bit if he doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of Coach Mike Shanahan, or get himself injured again. However, it is that same desire to succeed that makes Griffin so indomitably good. In his inaugural season, he finished as the 5th best QB for fantasy. His accuracy was the second- best ever for a rookie (behind only Ben Roesthlisberger), and he finished 2nd in QB rushing yards and TDs. Now he has big- play weapon Pierre Garcon healthy for hopefully a full season, as well as safety valve Fred Davis. The Redskins also picked up longtime Saint Devery Henderson, giving Griffin yet another weapon who can get downfield.
But you don’t need me to tell you about Griffin’s talent. He’s coming off ACL and LCL surgery, the same surgeries Adrian Peterson had a season ago. And much like the legendary great, Griffin is supposedly doing everything he was pre- injury. He’s almost certain to start the season under center, with more of a desire to protect himself. He might not get all of those little extra yards, but he promises to keep running, which is great news for fantasy owners. Needless to say, he’s a great option for fantasy owners this year. For those extra- cautious owners, Kirk Cousins is the handcuff. He played pretty well replacing Griffin, making him worth owning even if you don’t own Griffin, in deeper leagues.
Albert Morris
An unheralded rookie last year, Morris came on strong in the preseason to win the starting job all to himself. He finished second in yards and touchdowns, and 12th in YPC. In an effort to protect star quarterback Robert Griffin, some have speculated that more rushing attempts could be in line for Morris, meaning more production. He’s definitely caught the attention of the coaching staff, saying Morris is “as good a back as I’ve been around.” Coming off a season in which he inished 5th amongst fantasy RB’s, Morris is currently being drafted 9th, or 12.0. Buy.
Pierre Garcon, Devery Henderson, Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson, Josh Morgan
Garcon had trouble staying healthy last season, but he flashed immense potential during his 10 starts. For example, witness his 4/109/1 performance in Week 1 before he broke his leg. He’s still having trouble with his leg. We’ll know more about this in the preseason, but the signing of deep threat Devery Henderson likely isn’t good for his value. The rest of the receiver s are battling for second- receiver duties. The Redskins like Josh Morgan for his blocking, but he’s not often asked to score. Hankerson has the pedigree, but he has been a disappointment to date. Moss is the aged former No.1 receiver, and he did catch 8 Td’s last season, but that was on 41 catches and only 43% of the Redskins snaps. He’s likely regress. None of these guys need to be drafted outside of extremely deep leagues.  
Fred Davis
Davis might have been the only Redskin whose value fell with the arrival of Robert Griffin the Third. He managed only a 24/325/0 line in 7 games before falling victim to a torn ACL. He’s healthy now, and has managed to put up big numbers before (59/796/3 line in 2011, 12th amongst TE’s), but unless he shows some on- field chemistry with Griffin, he’ll be worthless in fantasy leagues.
Kai Forbath

Forbath came on in Week 6 to put up top- 12 kicking numbers. He plays in the explosive Redskins offense that could be better this year with Pierre Garcon and RG3 healthy. Enough said. 

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