No pressure, rook (Getty Images)

Back in March, the Washington Redskins traded up four spots in the first round of the draft, from the No. 6 pick to No. 2, in order to select Heisman winner Robert Griffin III. The team also dealt away its 2013 and 2014 first-rounders to the Rams, plus this year's No. 39 overall selection.

So it would be fair to say that the 'Skins expect brilliance from RGIII, and soon. If Griffin is merely good and not great — effective, but not revolutionary — then the trade that brought him to Wash--

Well, let's not go down that road just yet. It's still July. Training camps have just opened. Every analyst is supposed to be geeked about every player's potential. It's all sunshine right now, at least until the hitting begins.

We know this much about RGIII with absolute certainty: "He's the starter. Period." That's a direct quote from Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan ... and that guy has never misled us. Period.

RGIII has the skill-set to be an almost perfect fantasy weapon: He has the rocket-launcher arm, he has ridiculous speed and athleticism (4.41 speed, 39-inch vertical) and he was deadly accurate in his senior season at Baylor, completing 72.4 percent of his passes. We have all the usual college-to-pro worries here, of course, as Griffin is transitioning from a spread-option offense while making a huge quality-of-competition leap. RGIII doesn't have Cam Newton's size — he's three inches smaller and 25 pounds lighter — so you can't expect him to serve as his team's primary goal line back. (Cam's short-range rushing role was the key to his top-three scoring finish in 2011). Griffin's mobility nonetheless figures to be a huge component of his overall fantasy value, if also part of the risk profile.

Read More »from Juggernaut Index, No. 21: The Washington Redskins

Homer Bailey eyes an undefeated month (US Presswire)

Yup, that's right, it's another Homer Bailey fire drill. He's been hyped, de-hyped, post-hyped and un-hyped again. Bailey has really put together a terrific month — July stats: 4-0, 37.2 IP, 34 Ks, 8 BB, 1.43 ERA, 1.04 WHIP — his upcoming starts aren't too threatening (Pads and Bucs), and he's still available in 56 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Add as needed.

I've got Homer starting in a couple leagues this week and Mike Leake double-dipping in NL-only, so the Reds can do a great deal of harm to my fantasy portfolio in a short period of time. Or they can help. Feel free to head to the comments section to talk me out of this ridiculous multi-league commitment to Cincinnati. Before you do, please visit the Week 17 ranks and tiers below...

Read More »from The user’s guide to two-start pitchers, Week 17

CHICAGO – Days after the announcement of sanctions against Penn State, at what seems like an epochal moment in Big Ten history, the most persistent topic of discussion at the conference's Media Days event was not the appalling crimes that led to the penalties, nor the institutional cover-up. Instead, the conversation shifted to "intraconference recruiting."

In other words, the poaching of Penn State players.

With the start of preseason practices only a week away, any Nittany Lion player is eligible to transfer to a new school and would be allowed to play immediately. Permission-to-contact rules have been suspended, as have off-campus and telephone recruiting rules. Calls are being made – many calls. Hundreds of calls.

Coaches from each Big Ten program fielded the same question from the assembled press, usually phrased in the same way: "Do you have a problem with schools being able to solicit players from Penn State?"

Their answers were measured and unpracticed, usually

Read More »from Some Big Ten coaches are recruiting Penn State players, others are taking a passive approach

Carlos Marmol, king of the ugly save. (AP)Carlos Marmol is a perfect 10-for-10 on save opportunities since he reclaimed the closing role in Chicago, so we have to give the man credit for fulfilling his most basic responsibility. But Marmol certainly hasn't earned any style points during his recent string of successful conversions. Only once in his last 17 appearances has he managed to record three outs without giving up at least one hit or walk (or both).

These are Marmol's numbers dating back to June 15, when he protected a three-run lead against the Red Sox: 11.2 IP, 10 H, 10 BB, 3.86 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 18 Ks, 10 SV.

Obviously we like the Ks and the saves, and we can tolerate the earned run average. But I shouldn't need to tell you that it's awfully tough to maintain a sub-4.00 ERA while regularly allowing two baserunners per inning.

Back on July 14, Marmol delivered the variety of save that nearly summarizes his season. The play-by-play went like this (via the Yahoo! box score):

- C. Marmol relieved S. Camp
- S. Drew Read More »from Closer Report: Messy Marmol

Tim Tebow, inspiring his teammates to stretch better, farther (US Presswire)

This team ... gah.

I don't really have anything nice to say about the Jets' offense, but I still need to post something. Honestly, the only reason I've ranked this group so high in the Juggernaut Index is that I haven't wanted to write about them, ever. I almost slotted them last. I considered omitting them altogether — just skipping a team from the NFL's biggest market, hoping no one noticed.

But of course someone would have noticed. You guys always notice errors and omissions, so that was never going to be a viable option.

Still, Rex Ryan's team gets so much press as it is, they don't really need me to toss a fantasy spin into the vortex. Let's just deal quickly with this steaming green mess, then speak of it no more.

The dude pictured above was of course the marquee offseason addition in New York. As I understand it, Tim Tebow's primary role is to improve the one aspect of the Jets' offense that does not need improving: Red-zone production. New York ranked second in the league in red-zone scoring percentage last season, behind only Detroit, just ahead of Green Bay and New England. And this is the thing they've decided to fix.

Again: Gah.

So Tebow opens the year as a key supporting player, a guy who will be featured in Wildcat packages and who will occasionally trot onto the field when his team gets near the goal line. Tony Sparano, the Jets new offensive coordinator, has a history of Wildcattery, so I'm sure he's pleased to have the new weapon. The rest of the team is still scarred by this play, so they're happy to have Tim on their side, too.

Fantasy wise, Tebow's red zone-specialist role would seem to kneecap both Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene — not that you were expecting huge seasons from either player, but still.

Read More »from Juggernaut Index No. 22: The New York Jets

Doug Fister double-dips (US Presswire)

That's Detroit starter Doug Fister pictured above, auditioning for another turn in your fake team's rotation. He's still available in a significant percentage of Yahoo! leagues (45 as of this writing) and he's coming off back-to-back excellent efforts. Just check the game log. Fister has struck out 18 batters over his last two appearances, walking just two and allowing only five hits and two runs.

No, this hasn't been a stellar season thus far for the right-hander — he's visited the DL twice and his ERA is 4.04. But when we toss his stats in the SABR-a-tor, it spits out a not-terrible result (3.16 xFIP). Fister gets a pair of un-intimidating match-ups this week, facing the Tribe and the Bautista-less Jays, so please consider the add.

You'll find the rest of the two-start club after the jump, ranked and tiered (Magic 8-ball style). Let's do this thing...

Read More »from The user’s guide to two-start pitchers, Week 16

Kenny Britt, when it all began to go wrong (US Presswire)

Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt played two fantastic games to open the season in 2011, catching 14 balls for 271 yards and three TDs. But those two weeks might very well turn out to be the peak of this dude's career. The "News & Notes" section of Britt's player page has just been full of terrible blurbs ever since.

Here's the latest...

What's more, Britt was apparently taken into custody after attempting to enter a military base (Fort Campbell, Kentucky) at 3:30 am, while allegedly under the influence.

Now, obviously the appropriate time to operate a vehicle while intoxicated is NEVER, and the best place to drive while intoxicated is NOWHERE, but, well ... wow. A military base checkpoint. For me, that's a new wrinkle in this sort of NFL story.

Read More »from Shocking: There’s more bad news about Kenny Britt

Fitz and Fred Jackson, making fantasy magic (US Presswire)

There was a time last season, during the opening weeks, when the following question was considered completely legit:

"Who's gonna be better rest-of-season, Cam Newton or Ryan Fitzpatrick?"

In fact, that may have been the most frequently asked question within the fantasy community last September.

Of course the same owners who struggled with that dilemma just 10 months ago will today deny that they ever waffled...

"LMAO at Fitzpatrick!!! EVERYONE knew Cam was gonna blow up!"

...but I'm telling you, that was the question I fielded most often. It actually didn't seem so ludicrous at the time. You'll recall that Fitzpatrick began the year by throwing nine touchdown passes over the first three weeks, averaging 280.3 yards per game, leading the Bills to a 3-0 record.

He was, briefly, a big deal. And Buffalo's defense couldn't stop anyone, which of course only helped Fitzpatrick's fantasy profile. If his team was going to keep winning, they were going to need to do it shootout-style.

But, as you know, the Bills didn't keep winning.

Read More »from Juggernaut Index No. 23: The Buffalo Bills