Reigning Most Outstanding Player Bo Levi Mitchell will (again) be a must-start for Fantasy owners on a weekly basis, as he returns to direct a Stampeders offence that led the league with 586 points and averaged 411.4 yards per game. Running back Jerome Messam also returns after leading the league in rushing, while a diverse pass attack features a host of receivers that will thrive behind Mitchell’s arm.
QUARTERBACKS: Just 27 years old, Mitchell is putting together the foundation for a potential Hall of Fame career. As good as his 2015 season was (4,551 yards, 26 touchdown passes), last season was even better, as Mitchell lit it up for a career-best 5,385 yards and a league-high 32 touchdown passes while leading Calgary to the Grey Cup Championship. He was just as prolific in making two-point conversions, leading all quarterbacks with 11 successful attempts. Including the post-season, Mitchell had 15 games of at least two or more touchdown passes along with 13 games of more than 300 passing yards.
Without question, Mitchell should be one of the most sought-after (and highest salaried) players available in Fantasy, and owners will gladly pay the cost to have him as the foundation of their rosters. Mitchell doesn’t run too often, but he does have 14 career rushing scores. Having thrown 80 touchdown passes over the last three seasons, there’s good reason to imagine Mitchell approaching 40 touchdowns in 2017.
After an MOP season, Bo Levi Mitchell is as safe as you’ll find in CFL Fantasy (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Calgary native Andrew Buckley earned the start in the Stamps’ pre-season opener and has looked solid in training camp, but Mitchell Gale — who led the team to a pair of last-second wins in his three starts — could overtake him as Mitchell’s backup. Buckley, who tied the league record for most rushing touchdowns by a Canadian-born quarterback (eight), is locked in as the team’s short-yardage/goal line quarterback. NFL-experienced Ricky Stanzi will also factor into the chase for playing time.
RUNNING BACKS: Five years removed from his first 1,000-yard season, Messam found his groove and put together a career-year at age 31, dashing for a CFL-high 1,198 yards and a league-topping 11 rushing touchdowns as he helped the Stampeders finish third in the league with 1,744 yards. Messam had five 100-yard games and chipped in with the passing game by pulling in a personal-best 54 receptions for 485 yards and another score. There’s little reason to be concerned about Messam’s age (32), as he should be the most valuable back in Fantasy play. Since Mitchell will be the primary concern for opposing defences, Messam should be able to put together another season of quality numbers.
The race to back up Messam should be compelling. First-year back Jacobi Green ran for 63 yards and a touchdown in the Stamps’ pre-season opener and closed the gap between him and fellow first-year back Terry Williams, who also looked solid in his first taste of CFL action. Roy Finch, the team’s return specialist, should see more than the seven carries he received last season. Sledgehammer Rob Cote enters his 11th season with the team. He’ll be used primarily as a receiver, although, the 6-foot-1, 227-pound Cote did have eight carries. Fourth-round pick Ante Milanovic-Mitre brings a great junior resume to the table, but will most likely begin the season on the reserve roster.
SLOT BACKS/WIDE RECEIVERS: Veteran slotback Marquay McDaniel is proving he gets better with time. McDaniel caught 83 passes for 1,074 yards and four touchdowns last season, the second straight year he hit the 80-catch, 1,000-yard barrier. McDaniel has put together three 1,000-yard campaigns over the last five seasons. While he doesn’t hit the end zone with frequency, McDaniel should still be a reliable receiver that fits well in most Fantasy lineups.
DaVaris Daniels is the heir apparent to McDaniel as the Stampeders’ featured wideout, a mantle he might take this season. The Notre Dame standout earned Most Outstanding Rookie honors in a campaign that saw him reel in 51 catches for 885 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns. His play in the post-season (11 catches, 196 yards, two touchdowns) also included a touchdown run, so don’t be surprised if Daniels climbs the salary chart as the season progresses.
DaVaris Daniels emerged as one of the league’s fastest-rising stars in 2016 (The Canadian Press)
Kamar Jorden will be the receiver most likely to benefit from the departure of Bakari Grant (Roughriders). Jorden caught 29 of his 42 passes after Week 14 and started in the Grey Cup. Anthony Parker had 51 receptions for 654 yards and four scores and will also fight to work his way into more targets from Mitchell. Lamar Durant could start for most teams in the league, yet adds to the host of riches that Mitchell gets to throw to. Durant had 35 catches in 14 games, but has the upside to do much more if given the opportunity.
DEFENCE/SPECIAL TEAMS: Led by end Charleston Hughes’ league-best 16 sacks, the Stampeders tied for the league lead with 52 quarterback takedowns, in addition to topping the CFL in fewest points allowed (369) and pass knockdowns (80). Ja’Gared Davis and Micah Johnson each had seven sacks. Defensive back Jamar Wall had a team-best four interceptions, but the Stamps managed only 11 in total, leaving them tied with Saskatchewan for seventh in the league.
Finch set a team-record with 998 punt return yards that included an 85-yard touchdown in the Labour Day Classic. The former Oklahoma University star also had 1,060 kickoff return yards to go along with 198 yards on missed field goals. He’s already established himself as one of the league’s premier return specialists, and he enhances the value of the Stampeders’ defence in the eyes of Fantasy players.
