Robert Griffin III Injury Puts Kirk Cousins Among Top Week 3 Waiver-Wire Targets

The NFL is a cruel, unforgiving sport where teams will waste no time mourning its injured stars. Successful fantasy football managers must sadly follow suit and place a claim for Kirk Cousins in wake of Robert Griffin III's unfortunate ankle injury.

Early in Week 2's 41-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Griffin threw a pass downfield while running toward the sidelines. After jumping to avoid a leg tackle, he landed awkwardly and was carted off the field.

The severity of his ankle injury is still unknown, but Dr. Mark Adickes told The Washington Post that the prognosis does not look good:

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Dr. Mark Adickes, who did Griffin’s original anterior cruciate ligament repair, said he hadn’t seen any of the results but said that 'chances are nearly 100 percent that there is also a fracture,' which will not be known until the MRI exam is done.

Adickes says if there is a fracture, that’s almost better because there will be less ligament damage and then the ankle must be re-set and the bone must heal. Even so, the doctor predicts a four-month recovery time at the minimum, and that precedes rehabilitation work to restore range of motion and explosiveness.

Adickes said 'I think it’s very unlikely he plays again this season.'

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Once Griffin left the game, Cousins took the helm, which is nothing new for Washington's third-year insurance policy. He quickly torched Jacksonville's secondary, producing 250 yards and two scores while playing without the injured Jordan Reed and DeSean Jackson.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Griffin rarely enjoyed such success through the air:

Sunday afternoon, Washington's franchise quarterback winced on the ground in agony, a familiar sight for fans who uncomfortably watched him foolishly play through pain during the 2012 postseason. Sunday evening, The Washington Post's Mike Wise wrote about how Jay Gruden likes Cousins more anyway:

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The dirty little secret in Ashburn is that Coach Jay Gruden actually thought Kirk Cousins was better suited to his offense, that Robert Griffin III wasn’t getting it and there was no way to delicately make a change at any point this season without causing major problems throughout the organization. So the new coach was resigned to doing everything he could to develop Griffin into a pocket passer, though he really feared Griffin might not be the guy to lead the team over the long term.

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This is not to say Cousins will carve up every other defense like he did the Jaguars. After all, those were the Jaguars. In limited work over the last two years, Cousins produced varied results. He shone brightly in 2012, but he melted under the spotlight last season.

Category	2012	2013
Games Played	3	5
Completion %	68.8	52.3
Passing Yards	466	854
Yards/Attempt	9.71	5.51
Passing TDs	4	4
Interceptions	3	7

Grantland's Bill Barnwell warned readers about overrating Cousins after one terrific game against a horrendous defense that tied for No. 27 in yards allowed last season: 

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Of the 47 quarterbacks who threw 200 passes or more in the regular season and playoffs between 2012 and 2013, Cousins was 43rd in completion percentage and yards per attempt, 44th in passer rating, and 46th in interception rate. His rate numbers are an almost exact duplicate for Mark Sanchez’s final season as the starter in New York, when he completed 54.3 percent of his passes and averaged 6.4 yards per attempt. Cousins turns the ball over more frequently than Sanchez did that final year, and he didn’t even get attacked by any offensive linemen.

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Yet he's a starting quarterback for a coach that helped Andy Dalton throw 33 passing touchdowns last year. The Philadelphia Eagles, last year's worst passing defense, await Cousins this Sunday and one more time during Week 16, when most fantasy leagues host its championship game.

For those needing to replace Griffin, Cousins is worth a roll of the dice, and he has displayed glimpses of brilliance before. Sunday's effort is fresh in our minds, which could make him possible trade bait. A strong outing against Philadelphia would especially present an intriguing sell-high opportunity.

At the worst, you're blocking someone else from getting him, just in case a breakout occurs. It's better than letting Josh McCown or Matt Cassel use up a precious roster spot.

He'll compete with the likes of Alex Smith, Jake Locker, Ryan Tannehill, Joe Flacco and Geno Smith for a seat among the top 20 performers, which would have warranted a selection had he held the starting gig before Week 1. Cousins is worth a speculative add in most leagues, especially those that start two quarterbacks, even if he amounts to nothing more than an extreme matchup play this season.