Finding a consistent running back will be the difference in making or breaking most Fantasy owners. The position produced just two 1,000-yard rushers last season, and one (Brandon Whitaker of the Argonauts) came into training having to fend off the challenge of at least two younger runners intent on carving into his touches. As always, there is going to be a surprise or two that emerges along with the prospect of a back or two that comes from being released from an NFL team and becomes an impact player.
Top Tier
Even though Jerome Messam waited until turning 31 to put together a career year, there’s every reason to believe the Stampeders star will deliver a solid follow-up campaign. The reigning league rushing champion has averaged better than 5.5 yards per carry in each of his last four seasons and has become more a factor in the passing game, having caught a combined 101 passes for 949 yards and a touchdown in the last two years. Messam should be the top choice for Fantasy owners and will only solidify his standing if he approaches the combined 12 touchdowns he scored in 2016.
The move to Calgary has paid dividends for Jerome Messam since turning 30 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Had injuries not cost him four games, John White might have overtaken Messam for the rushing crown. Prorate White’s numbers for a full season and the Eskimos’ lead back would have totaled 1,139 yards, numbers he could flirt with in his fourth year in the league. While his longest run was just 31 yards, White did have 29 runs of at least 10 or more yards, and he was also frequently targeted by quarterback Mike Reilly (54 catches, 464 yards, one touchdown). White will turn 26 shortly after the regular season begins and is on the right team to rack up impressive numbers. Fantasy owners shouldn’t be surprised if White is the league’s top back when it all ends in November.
Whitaker, the second-leading rusher in the league, also caught a team-best 81 passes, making him the only back in the league to lead his team in catches. However, the 31-year-old — who also led the league with 42 carries of more than 10 yards — was re-signed by the Argonauts late in free agency and came into camp having to deal with the challenges of the 6-foot-2, 232-pound James Wilder, Jr. and the versatility of Cam McDaniel. However, Whitaker’s experience and production (at least 631 rushing yards in five of the last six seasons) should be enough for him to fend off his younger challengers and remain the top option of the Toronto offence for at least one more season.
Second Tier
Andrew Harris slipped a bit off his 2015 pace when he ran for 1,039 yards and totaled 10 touchdowns for the Lions. Harris scored just five touchdowns last season, but fell just short of his third career 1,000-yard campaign, finishing with 974 yards in 15 games. The Blue Bombers workhorse added 67 receptions and 631 yards out of the backfield, his fifth season of at least 53 catches. In his second year in Winnipeg, expect Harris to do more of the same and if he can find the goal line like he did in 2015, he could work his way into the top tier of Fantasy backs.
If Jeremiah Johnson could stay healthy, the Lions star would be even more productive. In his first year with BC, Johnson dashed for 809 yards and seven touchdowns and added 12 catches for 131 yards. The fifth-year back has one of the best noses for the goal line, having tallied 16 touchdowns the past two seasons. Johnson could be in line for a potentially monster season with one of the league’s most prolific scoring attacks.
With the backfield all to himself in 2017, look for big things from Jeremiah Johnson (David Chidley/CFL.ca)
The defending Grey Cup champion REDBLACKS signed Shakir Bell during the off-season, but don’t discount William Powell, who missed last season’s title with an Achilles injury. Powell was impressive in his seven-game debut in 2015, rushing for 447 yards and two touchdowns on just 76 carries, adding 19 passes for 158 yards and another score. Powell may start the season as the backup to Bell, but he has the talent and savvy to stake his claim as at the lead back in Ottawa. Fantasy owners will have to watch how Powell and Bell are used, as this could be a situation that changes weekly.
Bell amassed 334 of his 425 rushing yards during a three-game stretch in mid-season when he replaced White in the Eskimos lineup, highlighted by a career-high 138 yards against Saskatchewan in Week 10. Bell — who ran for 633 yards and a score for Edmonton in 2015 — will be productive when on the field for the REDBLACKS. He also has health and youth on his side. There’s every reason to believe Bell would be a top-four back if the presence of Powell wasn’t looming over him; so, if the third-year back international can set the pace early, Bell just might give Fantasy players high-end numbers on a weekly basis.
A healthy C.J. Gable delivered 693 yards and three touchdowns for the Tiger-Cats last season, marking the first time Gable played in more than seven games since his debut in 2013. What hurts Gable’s ranking (besides his health) is that he plays on a team that doesn’t emphasize the run, yet he’s shown himself to be a good receiver out of the backfield. Gable caught 39 passes last season and has averaged a solid 10.7 yards per reception over his career. Ticats quarterback Zach Collaros will find ways to get the ball into Gable’s hands this season and Fantasy owners will benefit.
Third Tier
The Roughriders welcomed back Anthony Allen after he ran for 1,504 yards and eight touchdowns in two years with the club before moving to the Lions last season. Signed just before the start of pre-season, Allen, who ran for 436 yards and three touchdowns in seven games for BC in 2016, will have to fight off fellow Saskatchewan newcomer Cameron Marshall to help bring life to the league’s eighth-ranked running game. He could be a sleeper pick if the starting job is his without having to look over his shoulder.
Edmonton didn’t blink after losing Bell to the REDBLACKS and returned the favor by signing Travon Van from the Grey Cup champs. Van averaged 5.2 yards per carry on just 81 attempts and caught 19 passes for 131 yards last season, showing the explosiveness to be a breakout candidate if White went down. As it stands, the Eskimos are determined to find ways to get Van involved as both a runner and receiver.
Former Ottawa REDBLACK Travon Van could be an intriguing addition to the Eskimos (The Canadian Press)
One can flip a coin as to determine who will be the lead back for the Alouettes. Brandon Rutley led the Als with 495 yards and four touchdowns, but Tyrell Sutton also returns to the Montreal backfield after missing 11 games with injuries. Sutton ran for 1,059 yards and five touchdowns, and he reeled in 43 catches for the Alouettes in 2015. So, if he can prove he can stay on the field consistently, Sutton will get the slight edge over Rutley. Montreal’s offence is still a work in progress, so whoever is the starter will be limited in Fantasy production, at least in the early going.
If physical tools were the only criteria, then Wilder would be at the top tier. Having spent time with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, Wilder brings his immense size/speed to an Argonauts team that is looking for a potential heir apparent to Whitaker. He will see touches, but Fantasy owners should be cautious about investing in Wilder until Toronto plays its hand and decides either to go forward with Whitaker or let Wilder loose in his debut year in the league. Despite his upside, Wilder remains an unknown commodity.
With Bell and Powell atop the REDBLACKS’ depth chart, it’s easy to forget what Mossis Madu did in six games for Ottawa last season. The former Oklahoma University starter ran for 490 yards and three touchdowns on 92 carries and added an additional 14 catches. The challenge will be finding a way for all three backs to share touches, and if Madu forces this into a running back by committee, each of them will see their Fantasy value significantly dampened.
Ross Scheuerman is an intriguing talent who made a good first impression in only his third game with the Tiger-Cats when he rushed for 79 yards on 16 carries against the Alouettes before sustaining an upper-body injury that sidelined him the remainder of the season. At 6-foot-1, 209 pounds, Scheuerman is bigger than most backs and could be a solid performer if Hamilton lost Gable for an extended period. Fantasy owners should keep in mind that Scheuerman is a good receiver out the backfield, as he had five catches for 40 yards in his brief time on the Ticats’ active roster. There is breakout potential brimming here.
Like Scheuerman, Timothy Flanders is a back waiting for a chance to prove himself. The understudy to Harris ran for 281 yards and scored three touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Winnipeg fans got a touch of that potential upside when he averaged 87.3 yards on the ground during a three-game stretch as a starter in September. Flanders played in just seven games, so he will have a full season to continue adapting to the game and digesting the Blue Bombers’ playbook. He could be a low-risk play for Fantasy owners.
Fourth Tier
Both Chris Rainey of the Lions and Roy Finch of the Stampeders are similar in that both should see touches from scrimmage, but their value is in returning kicks. Rainey averaged 8.6 yards per carry on his 36 touches and had 12 of his runs go for 10 or more yards. His Fantasy value is enhanced by his receiving skills (30 catches for 271 yards and three scores). Finch had just nine touches from scrimmage last season, but should see slightly more than that this year.
2017 could deliver the breakout season fans have been waiting for from Roy Finch (The Canadian Press)
Cameron Marshall returns to the CFL after missing 2016 in a bid to play in the States. He now looks to unseat Allen as the lead back for the Roughriders and hopes to repeat his 2015 season with the Blue Bombers, when he ran for 614 yards and five touchdowns and added 32 receptions. Greg Morris, the top returning rusher for Saskatchewan, had one start for the Riders last season and averaged an impressive eight yards per carry with his 14 attempts. If Allen were to go down, Fantasy owners would probably look in the direction of Marshall, who has the size to handle an extensive workload.
In Toronto, McDaniel will look to see if he can slip his way into the race between Whitaker and Wilder. McDaniel, a former star at Notre Dame, is a do-all who can impact the game as a runner and receiver. If either of the backs in front of him goes down to injury, Fantasy owners should raise the value of McDaniel.
A second round pick of the Tiger-Cats in 2016, Mercer Timmis had just three carries during his rookie season, but the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder is a name to keep in mind if Gable goes down in Hamilton. Scheuerman will be a factor, but Timmis’ college resume (2,987 yards, 43 touchdowns rushing) suggests the team will find a way to get him more into the flow this season. Don’t be surprised if Timmis becomes the Ticats’ short yardage/goal line back. While his chances for touchdowns increase, he would be too scoring dependent for Fantasy owners in that scenario.
