Tomas Makacek/Argonauts.ca
How does Ottawa put together its backfield puzzle with a pair of games over a five-day span? Is Brandon Rutley ready to fill the void that Tyrell Sutton and his league-leading production left behind? Can Travis Lulay repeat his remarkable and record-setting effort when BC meets a tough Winnipeg secondary?
These questions are about to be answered as Week 5 brings us a busy week.
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Montreal at Ottawa
Wednesday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Mincy will be relied upon to play a shut down role against Ellingson in Week 5 (The Canadian Press)
Rutley ($5,734), who was inactive in the Alouettes’ first four games, makes his debut as Sutton ($7,075) is sidelined with a calf injury. Montreal’s leading rusher last season, Rutley has an opportunity to come out of the gate impressively, as the REDBLACKS allow a league-high 5.8 yards per carry. He’s worth strong consideration as your RB2 or in a Flex spot. Those who plan to use Ottawa receiver Greg Ellingson ($9,397) should also note that the Alouettes get lockdown corner Jonathon Mincy back after he missed the last two games. Mincy did a tremendous job against Saskatchewan’s Duron Carter and Edmonton’s Adarius Bowman in the first two games and will likely draw the assignment of covering Ellingson, who is second in the league with 435 yards.
William Powell ($8,961) will get the start in the Ottawa backfield after accounting for 86 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown last week, his first appearance since sustaining an ankle injury in Week 1. Receiver Kenny Shaw ($6,843) remains in a walking boot and is still weeks away from returning to action.
Edmonton at Hamilton
Thursday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Zylstra is a must start for fantasy owners with Bowman on the sidelines this week (The Canadian Press)
The Eskimos will be without start receiver Adarius Bowman ($7,063), who has missed much of practice this week with an injured hamstring. Brandon Zylstra ($4,977) becomes a must-start against a Hamilton secondary allowing 440.7 yards per game. The value of both Vidal Hazelton ($3,529) and D’hquille Williams ($4,000) also rises. Travon Van ($4,045) rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries last week and remains a solid bargain as he replaces John White in the lineup. Ross Scheuerman ($2,500) ran for 58 yards on just eight carries in last week’s loss to BC and will get his third straight start, continuing to relegate C.J. Gable ($5,496) to the inactive list.
BC at Winnipeg
Friday | 10:00 p.m. ET
Lulay will get the start after posting a career high in receiving yards against the Ticats in Week 4 (Dave Chidley/CFL.ca)
Lulay ($4,295) threw for a record-setting 436 yards and three touchdowns after replacing Jennings ($10,211) in the lineup. He gets the start against a Blue Bombers defence ($5,625) that leads the league with six interceptions. Still, Lulay is a bargain in a BC attack averaging 29.8 points per game. Meanwhile, L’Damian Washington ($2,500) will be replaced by T.J. Thorpe ($2,500) in the starting lineup. Thorpe ran with the first team in practice but shouldn’t be considered a Fantasy factor.
Saskatchewan at Calgary
Saturday | 9:00 p.m. ET
Messam is ranked third in CFL rushing yards with 188 heading into Calgary’s Week 5 matchup with the Riders (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Fresh off their first open week of the season, the Roughriders head to Calgary with the bulk of their offence healthy. They’ll need it in what could be a high-scoring affair against the Stampeders. Jerome Messam ($6,550) will be available for Calgary after he was disqualified from last week’s game after an altercation with an Alouettes player. He’s off to a slow start and could use a strong night to get back on track.
Ottawa at Toronto
Monday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Can Coombs step up in the Argos’ offence with DeVier Posey on the six-game injured list? (Tomas Makacek/Argonauts.ca)
The REDBLACKS will hope they arrive on Monday night without too much damage from Wednesday’s game against the Alouettes. As for the Argonauts, they come into Week 6 with just six healthy receivers, as five of the team’s pass catchers are on either the one-game or six-game injured list. The injuries have opened the door for Anthony Coombs ($2,500) to become more involved in the offence. Coombs comes into the week as the ninth-leading receiver in the league with 19 receptions.
