Robert Griffin III: Why Scintillating Redskins Rookie QB Is an Every-Week Start

Through three weeks of the 2012 NFL season, it is undeniable how much of a positive impact Robert Griffin III has made on the Washington Redskins offense.

Often stagnant and lacking in any true flash, the calling card of the Redskins has been a grind-it-out, low-scoring offense for the better part of a decade. 

With Griffin, that is no longer the case.

Implementing multiple facets of Baylor's spread and pistol attack, head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan have attempted to make their rookie quarterback's transition as easy as possible.

Thus far, the results have been mixed team-wise. While Griffin's play has been fantastic every week, the increased aggression has put the Redskins' weak offensive line on display. Giving up nine sacks and countless other hits, many have questioned whether Griffin can hold up for an entire season with this unit serving as his protection.

For the Redskins, this could serve as a huge problem going forward.

However, for fantasy football owners, none of those offensive problems make a bit of difference. In just three games, the Washington dual-threat has established himself as one of fantasy's top quarterbacks and an every-week start going forward, barring injury.

Last season saw Cam Newton's early-season offensive barrage vault the Carolina Panthers star into every-week starter status. Well, not only has Griffin been as good as Newton's early surge in 2011, he's been markedly better. 

With passing numbers (60-of-89 for 747 yards and four touchdowns) and brilliance on the ground (209 yards, three touchdowns), Griffin is a dual-threat whose effectiveness is not solely based on touchdowns. Despite all of his brilliance on the ground, Newton just set his career-high in rushing yards in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints with 71 yards.

Griffin has two games with 80-plus yards on the ground already. Considering the undeniably fluky nature of rushing touchdowns for quarterbacks, Griffin's yardage numbers are even more sustainable going forward than Newton's touchdowns in 2011.

While it's not completely fair to compare the two as they bring different skills to the table, using Newton is easily the best recent anecdotal comparison to make. 

Both came into their rookie seasons hyped, but with plenty of wariness from fantasy owners. And despite being drafted in the mid-to-late rounds of your draft, both excelled early in their young careers.

Smart fantasy owners likely coupled Griffin with a more established, safer quarterback to mitigate risks. Based on what we've seen in the first three weeks of 2012, feel free to bench your experienced star in favor of Griffin for the rest of the season and open up trade talks if possible.

Griffin's performance has been better than any other quarterback in fantasy this season, but more importantly, it is sustainable going forward. Newton won plenty of fantasy championships for owners in 2012, don't miss your shot at a title by keeping RGIII on your bench.

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