Between Zach Collaros and Jeremiah Masoli, the Tiger-Cats have strong depth at quarterback to go along with a solid receiving corps headlined by Luke Tasker and Terrence Toliver. For the team to help Fantasy owners, improvements to a running game that finished last in the CFL with 1,205 yards and finding a replacement for still-injured receiver Andy Fantuz will be among the first steps toward also increasing last season’s seven-win total.
QUARTERBACKS: Collaros tied for fourth with 18 touchdown passes, a total that would have been higher had he not missed eight games due to injury. The inability to stay on the field has hidden his Fantasy potential, as Collaros has thrown for 43 touchdowns over the past two seasons despite being sidelined for 14 out of 36 regular season games. The Fantasy expectations are limited for Collaros because he’s so undependable. Fantasy owners interested in adding him to their roster should tread with caution.
Health will be a key factor in Zach Collaros’ fantasy production in 2017 (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
The Ticats know they have a capable backup in Masoli, who started eight games and threw for 2,695 yards and 16 touchdowns. Masoli, who is just as accurate as Collaros, set a league record with 23 straight completions in Week 5, and he connected on just over 69 percent of his passes. He’s a riskier option than Collaros (12 interceptions) but his running ability would make him a good Fantasy play, as Masoli did score six rushing touchdowns last season while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
RUNNING BACKS: Veteran C.J. Gable’s 693 rushing yards were sixth in the league and accounted for nearly 58 per cent of the team’s total yardage on the ground. Like Collaros, Gable’s 2016 numbers were limited due to injury, as he missed three games. If he can stay healthy, Gable should be entrenched as Hamilton’s lead back and bid for a second straight East Division All-Star nod. Fantasy owners will like Gable’s pass-catching skills. He averaged 10.4 yards per catch and recorded one of his four total touchdowns via reception. Gable has averaged better than 10 yards per catch in three of his four CFL seasons and still has the speed to turn a simple dump-off pass into a big gain.
Ross Scheuerman made the most of his first CFL start by rushing for 79 yards on 16 carries, but he suffered an upper-body injury that ended his season early. He’s a bigger back (6-foot-1, 209 lbs.) than Gable, so his physical style is a change of pace the Tiger-Cats can throw at opponents. Mercer Timmis is a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder who had three carries last season, but the former University of Calgary star could make his presence felt if given more touches. Alex Green was signed as a free agent but he hasn’t played in a game since being released by the NFL’s New York Jets in 2014.
SLOT BACKS/WIDE RECEIVERS: Fantuz will serve as a player development coordinator while he recovers from the torn ACL he sustained near the end of the 2016 season. The injury costs Hamilton the league’s fifth most-productive wideout (101 catches) and there is no guarantee the 11-year veteran will return.
Injuries also snatched Tasker from the lineup, forcing the Tiger-Cats to play the final six games of the regular season without him. Tasker had 76 catches for 852 yards and five touchdowns, marking the third straight season the sure-handed wideout pulled in at least 70 receptions. With better health, Tasker could reach the 90-catch plateau with the potential to go beyond that total. Fantasy players will be cautious with Tasker, but should pursue him if he shows durability. Toliver is perhaps the most Fantasy-viable receiver on the roster. He’s coming off a season in which he caught 65 passes for 1,036 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns. At 6-foot-5, 211 pounds, Toliver showed off his big-play skills with 11 receptions of more than 30 yards. However, like Fantuz and Tasker, he was also hit by injuries that cost him four games.
Terrence Toliver accepted a contract extension this off-season with the Ticats (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Brandon Banks had 32 catches for 376 yards and four touchdowns, but he is more relied upon as the team’s return specialist. Junior Collins took advantage of the rash of injuries and made six starts, finishing with 17 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown. Free agents Jalen Saunders and Ed Williams are among the group of players looking to crack into the rotation.
DEFENCE/SPECIAL TEAMS: Despite their seventh-place finish in points allowed (507), the Ticats were among the league’s best at rushing the passer. Hamilton was third with 50 sacks, 14 of those coming from veteran John Chick, who recorded double-digit sacks for the third straight year and four of the last five seasons. Fellow tackle Ted Laurent added seven sacks, while the team also got seven from end Adrian Tracy, who also had two of the Ticats’ 17 interceptions. Hamilton was second only to the Blue Bombers in interceptions; defensive back Emanuel Davis led the way with five picks.
Banks makes the defensive unit a Fantasy must-start. He led the league with 245 yards in missed field goal returns, was second with 1,245 kickoff return yards and fifth in punt return yardage (588) while adding three special teams touchdowns. In his four years in the league, Banks has seven special teams returns for touchdowns and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
