LestersLegends.com

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By Brandon Berg
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Robert Griffin III is a dynamic player. He can run, pass and win. At the college level anyways.
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He has drawn much comparison to Michael Vick, except for running a little less and with a better arm. There were multiple scouts who coveted RGIII more than the actual top pick Andrew Luck.
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However, according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com, RGIII is the 12th QB taken off the board in 10 and 12 team redraft leagues.
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Just so we’re clear, he is being drafted as a starting fantasy football QB on most teams in leagues that go 12 teams or deeper. Some of you may as why that is; great question.
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Upon the season in which we saw rookies Andy Dalton and Cam Newton (specifically) have great seasons; owners are enamored with hoping to find the next guy to do so. I hate to break it to you, but don’t count on it happening again this year.
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The biggest problem most owners face with drafting RGIII so early is that they’re trying to catch Cam Newton in a bottle, which just won’t happen. Newton had a better running game with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and had a better receiving corps with Steve Smith and a couple nice check down options in Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey.
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RGII does have some nice options, yes, but no number one receiver. Newly acquired Pierre Garcon is a great number two receiver and Santana Moss is past his prime. Fred Davis is a great underneath option, but that only gets you so far.
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I don’t like Griffin’s arm as much as Newton and he isn’t going to run for the 700+ yards that Newton did last year. I would guess closer to 400 yards and won’t find the end zone near as much.
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Griffin is going to be a solid QB in this league and maybe one day a very stable first QB option in fantasy leagues, but he isn’t the same type of impact player Newton was. Griffin is going to take time to develop.
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That said, I still believe Griffin can a solid backup QB for you, just don’t overpay for him and count on him starting for you this year even though the rushing yards presents a nice upside. If anything, trade for him if he gets off to a slow start. I would rather have Big Ben with an improved offensive line or Jay Cutler with a revamped receiving staff, both of which are consistently being drafted behind Griffin.
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You can follow me on Twitter @fantasyguidelin.

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In a deal reminiscent of the haul that Mike Ditka gave away to land Ricky Williams, ironically to the Washington Redskins, this time it was the Skins that were the buyers in landing the #2 pick from St. Louis.
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The Redskins will most likely select Robert Griffin III, unless the Colts shock the world by taking RG3 and letting Andrew Luck slide to two. Either way, the Redskins have addressed their QB of the future.
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The Rams swapped the number two pick in the 2012 NFL Draft for the Redskins’ sixth overall pick, a second round pick, and two future first round picks.
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The Skins will solve their QB woes while the Rams have a lot of flexibility with the sixth pick. Perhaps they go offensive line with Iowa’s Riley Reiff or bolster their secondary with LSU’s Morris Claiborne. Perhaps the dream scenario would be Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon sliding to them, giving Sam Bradford a legitimate weapon.

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Now that Peyton Manning is officially a free agent, the suitors will begin lining up for the future Hall of Famer. One of those teams will be the Washington Redskins. While Daniel Snyder has the money to make it happen, I don’t think it will be the right fit.
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For starters, the Redskins do not have the necessary weapons for Peyton. I know he makes the players around him better, but given his recent injury history, that may not necessarily be the case right away. The Redskins could bring in a receiver or two in free agency, but the Skins don’t have the best track record with their signings.
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The Redskins are an NFC East team, which isn’t ideal for Manning for a couple of reasons. For starters, his brother plays in that division. After winning his second Super Bowl and throwing for more yards last year than Peyton ever has in a season, I’m not sure if Peyton would want to be compared to his brother in that way, especially with less surrounding talent. Not to mention any NFC team eliminates the possibility of an All-Manning Super Bowl.
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Plus, with his neck issues, going to a division that gets after the quarterback isn’t the best move. The Eagles were tied with Minnesota for the league lead with 50 sacks. The Giants were tied for third with 48 and the Cowboys were tied for seventh with 42. Meanwhile Washington was tied for 11th with 41 sacks allowed. Granted Peyton gets rid of the ball quickly, but he’d still subject himself to a lot of hits.
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He has also been allowed to call the shots for the bulk of his career. I don’t see that happening with Mike Shanahan. The likelihood that those two would butt heads is fairly high.
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The Redskins aren’t close to competing for a Super Bowl berth. Even if Peyton plays at a high level, the NFC East is far too competitive and the Redskins just don’t have the horses.
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Also check out:

• Why Peyton Manning Isn’t Right for the Jets
• Why the Colts Should Move on Peyton Manning
• 2012 NFL Mock Draft

Larry French/Getty Images
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I know what you’re thinking. There really isn’t a running back in the league that  you could trust with Mike Shanahan calling the shots. Humor me a second and put aside Shanahan’s history with rotating running backs and look at Tim Hightower from a fantasy perspective.
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He does bring some things to the table. For starters, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He has averaged 39.3 receptions in his three years in the league, with a career high 63 in 2009. He has reputation of being a two yards and a cloud of dust guy after averaging 2.8 yard per carry in his rookie year, but he has averaged 4.2 and 4.8 the past two years. It’s hard not to be impressed with a guy that averaged nearly five yards per carry in Arizona’s dysfunctional offense last year.
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Hightower also has the size (6’0″, 222) and the ability to get in the end zone. He has 23 rushing touchdowns in his three seasons despite only carrying the ball 439 career times. Even if he loses the starter gig eventually, he’ll likely still be counted on in passing situations, and possibly goal line work. Hightower’s ability to pick up the blitz assures that barring injury he’ll have a significant role with the Redskins. Can it be enough?
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There are a couple of things working against him. For starters, he has a fumbling history. He has put the ball on the carpet ten times in the past two years, losing four each season. That’s a high number considering how few carries he had (296 total). Fumbling is one of the quickest ways to get into the doghouse.
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The other thing working against him is Shanahan’s madness. Sure, things are peachy right now, but what happens when they start losing again? Shanahan has long had a thing for Ryan Torain so he could get a shot. As could rookie Roy Helu, who was a popular sleeper pick until Hightower’s arrival.
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I wouldn’t build my foundation around Hightower, but I would consider using him as a RB3 or RB4 depending on how the rest of my team shaped out. What’s your take on Tim Hightower?
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Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football RB Rankings - PPR
• 2011 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football IDP Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Football K Rankings

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About the only stable running back scene in the NFC East belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles. LeSean McCoy ran for 1080 yards and seven touchdowns. He added to his totals with a ridiculous 78 catches for 592 yards and two more scores. Sure, he’ll lose some touchdowns to Michael Vick, but he doesn’t have much competition from other running backs. McCoy is a solid RB1.
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Felix Jones is the lead back in Dallas, but the Cowboys fully expect to share the workload. Tashard Choice and rookie DeMarco Murray will be in the mix, but they probably won’t do enough for fantasy teams barring injury. Jones is best suited as an RB3 at this point. Marion Barber III is unlikely to return gone.
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Ahmad Bradshaw is in limbo until the lockout is settled. If he become a restricted free agent he will likely remain with the Giants. If he is unrestricted he’ll go to the highest bidder. I like his prospects better if he stays with the G-Men, but I wouldn’t shy away from him if he bolts. Bradshaw is a solid RB2 regardless. Brandon Jacobs is also in limbo. The Giants could ask him to take a paycut. Whether or not he’ll be willing to do so will determine his fantasy worth. Like Bradshaw I like Jacobs better if he returns to the Giants. He’s a solid RB3 that would get a boost in value if Bradshaw leaves.
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Then there’s Washington. Ryan Torain had some moments last year, but he can’t seem to stay healthy. He’s a big risk that should probably be no better than a RB4. Torain will have to share the load with rookie Roy Helu, who has a good chance of becoming the most productive of his class this year. Clinton Portis is unlikely to return.
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Also check out:

• AFC East Running Back Situations
• AFC North Running Back Situations
• AFC South Running Back Situations
• AFC West Running Back Situations

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The NFC East has three established quarterbacks and one messy situation.
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Michael Vick is the number one fantasy quarterback in the division. He’s a bit of a risk in part because of injuries and in part because he’s never had a season like last year. He has the tools to succeed and the weapons around him to flourish, but we won’t know if he still has the drive to be a better quarterback. He’s easily a top tier QB1, but he has more risk than the likes of Rodgers, Brees, Brady, and Manning. Kevin Kolb is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. He could find himself traded, possibly to Arizona. He makes a decent QB2 if he’s a starter.
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Tony Romo put up big numbers when he is healthy. Dez Bryant is immature, but he gives Romo another quality weapon. He’s averaged 2699.5 yards and 1.9 touchdown passes per game over the past four years (51 games). His lack of playoff success keeps him from the Brady, Peyton, and Brees discussions, but he is possibly the best value among fantasy quarterbacks because of it.
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Eli Manning reached 4000 yards for the second straight season. Not bad for a team that historically likes to run the football. His career high of 31 touchdowns gives him an average of 29 over the past two years and 25 over the past six. He really formed a nice rapport with Hakeem Nicks and remains a solid QB1 if you want to address other needs or a high-end QB2.
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Then there is Washington. Donovan McNabb is as good as gone, which marks the second straight season he’s been sent packing. I don’t know if he’s a starting caliber quarterback anymore. Even if he finds a new gig, his fantasy days are most likely behind him. Rex Grossman could be brought back, but it appears John Beck could get a chance to show what he can do. This is a situation to avoid. Not only are the QB options mediocre at best, but they are running thin in the playmaker department.
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Also check out:

• AFC East Quarterback Situations
• AFC North Quarterback Situations
• AFC South Quarterback Situations
• AFC West Quarterback Situations

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Clinton Portis was released by the Redskins as expected. Portis was limited to just 54 carries last year as he ran for just 277 yards with two touchdowns. After running for 9202 yards and 72 touchdowns in his first seven years, Portis has totaled just 721 yards and three touchdowns the past two years. Portis will turn 30 in September, but he has a lot of mileage on those tires. Clinton has 2230 carries for 9923 yards.
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He will likely find work somewhere, so he had top the 10K yardage mark, but his days of fantasy greatness are long behind him. He still could have some value depending upon where he lands.
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Right now Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams would likely handle the load, but don’t be surprised if they add some new blood to compete for the carries.