Fantasy Football 2012: Choose Your QB—Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin III

Today's rookie-themed installment of "Choose Your Quarterback" pits Washington's Robert Griffin III against Indianapolis' Andrew Luck.

Here's a week-by-week fantasy breakdown of Griffin vs. Luck, just in case you're torn on which one to covet more in Round 9 of the summertime drafts:

Week 1—Griffin (@ New Orleans) over Luck (@ Chicago)
Week 2—Luck (vs. Minnesota) over Griffin (@ St. Louis)
Week 3—Luck (vs. Jacksonville) over Griffin (vs. Cincinnati)
Week 4—Griffin (@ Tampa Bay) over Luck (BYE)
Week 5—Luck (vs. Green Bay) over Griffin (vs. Atlanta)
Week 6—Griffin (vs. Minnesota) over Luck (@ N.Y. Jets)
Week 7—Griffin (@ N.Y. Giants) over Luck (vs. Cleveland)
Week 8—Griffin (@ Pittsburgh) over Luck (@ Tennessee)
Week 9—Griffin (vs. Carolina) over Luck (vs. Miami)
Week 10—Luck (@ Jacksonville) over Griffin (BYE)
Week 11—Luck (@ New England) over Griffin (vs. Philadelphia)
Week 12—Luck (vs. Buffalo) over Griffin (@ Dallas)
Week 13—Griffin (@ N.Y. Giants) over Luck (@ Detroit)
Week 14—Luck (vs. Tennessee) over Griffin (vs. Baltimore)
Week 15—Luck (@ Houston) over Griffin (@ Cleveland)
Week 16—Griffin (@ Philadelphia) over Luck (@ Kansas City)
Week 17—Griffin (vs. Dallas) over Luck (vs. Houston) 

Final Tally: Griffin trips Luck, 9-8. 

Breakdown

• At first glance, Griffin has a much tougher schedule than Luck this season, which somewhat skews the fact that Luck isn't blessed with many supporting playmakers in Indy (as of April 26). If the schedules were similar, Griffin would probably hold an 11-6 edge.
• We could have gone either way in Week 9, when both Luck and Griffin host intra-conference opponents. But ultimately, I sided with Griffin's greater capacity for a rushing touchdown (ticky-tack, I know). Basically, fantasy owners will be pleased with either quarterback in Round 9 (spot starters), assuming they're not Week 1 fantasy starters. That would be a recipe for disaster.
• Luck and Griffin have consecutive-week blocks of preferential status, a byproduct of their respective schedules and penchant for running hot and cold throughout the season. Even if fantasy owners believe both quarterbacks will be top-20 assets in two or three years, neither one is immune to the rookie blues in noticeable chunks. The most noteworthy QBs to avoid the rough patches of the last 30 years: Dan Marino (1983), Jim Kelly (1986) and Cam Newton (2011).
• Griffin and Luck actually split for the fantasy playoff period of Weeks 13-16; and right now, neither has a decisive edge during that four-week window.
• Luck will be a fantasy giant someday, but right now, Griffin has a tangible lead in supporting talent. His running backs (Roy Helu/Evan Royster) and tight ends (Fred Davis/Chris Cooley) are vastly superior to the Colts' current lot. And Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie aren't formidable enough to overcome Indy's deficiencies at tailback and tight end.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.