August 1, 2017

Jeremiah Johnson leading the fantasy MVP race

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

TORONTO — After earning the starting role in the backfield for the BC Lions this season, Jeremiah Johnson has proved every single week that it was the right decision.

Johnson has scored a touchdown in every game this year – he’s run in four times while also catching two through the air.

The 30-year-old is also second in rushing yards with 343 yards, just behind Calgary’s Jerome Messam (414 yards). He’s also tied for first in rushing touchdowns (five) with his quarterback, Travis Lulay, and Messam.

So when the BC Lions play host to the Saskatchewan Roughriders this week, it’s not far fetched to expect Johnson to find the end zone once again and add to his season totals.

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Last season, Johnson split running back duties with Anthony Allen and the duo helped the Lions to a dangerous rushing attack. They sat atop all rushing categories for the majority of the 2016 season. Johnson pitched in 809 yards and seven touchdowns to those totals in the 11 games he played in.

This season, however, Johnson has been given the green light as the starting tailback and he’s been consistently contributing each and every game.

Johnson set the tone for the Lions ground attack in Week 1 against the Edmonton Eskimos, rushing 14 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. The following week, Johnson rushed 70 yards on nine carries to go along with a major score. In Week 3, Johnson scored twice, once on the ground and once through the air while also collecting 32 yards on 12 carries and 68 receiving yards on five catches.

In Week 4 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the running back scored a touchdown once again while collecting 101 all-purpose yards. Week 5 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was much of the same as he scored another major and rushed 48 yards on nine carries.

Last week, against the Edmonton Eskimos, Johnson kept his touchdown streak rolling, catching a five-yard pass from Lulay for the score. That night he also collected 74 yards on the ground and through the air.

With his impressive performances each week, Johnson has as many fantasy points as some quarterbacks around the league and has the most by any other position player (16 points ahead of Greg Ellingson) and 20 more than the next running back, Messam.

» BUY TICKETS: ROUGHRIDERS AT LIONS

Name Position Points
Trevor Harris QB 123.6
Ricky Ray QB 122.7
Kevin Glenn QB 114.9
Mike Reilly QB 113.5
Bo Levi Mitchell QB 107.3
Matt Nichols QB 101.5
Jeremiah Johnson RB 100.6
Travis Lulay QB 97.1
Darian Durant QB 96.0
Greg Ellingson WR 84.3
Jerome Messam RB 80.5

 

Johnson will go head-to-head with a Saskatchewan defence on Saturday night that has allowed just a single rushing touchdown so far this season – the least amount in the CFL. The Riders are also second in total points allowed (134).

But if anyone can expose the Riders’ defence, it’s Johnson and the BC Lions offence. The Lions are second in the league in total points scored (190), lead the CFL in rushing touchdowns (11), sit third in rushing yards (537) and are second in passing yards (1,952).

Can Johnson continue his dominance out of the backfield this week? Find out on Saturday night.

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