Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Fantasy owners may experience a sense of “All hands on deck” in Week 7, as two of the teams ranked in the bottom third of points allowed per game meet in Winnipeg. Ottawa, ranked seventh with 28.2 points allowed, comes off a much-needed open week to take on a Blue Bombers team that has given up 35.8 points per game, including 85 combined points to the Lions and Alouettes the last two weeks.
Week 7 also offers a potential Fantasy windfall in the form of an Edmonton offence that may have to go more pass-heavy against a Hamilton defence still reeling from last week’s 60-1 defeat at Calgary. The Tiger-Cats are allowing a league-worst 40.2 points per game, and they will be challenged to contain Mike Reilly and an Eskimos receiving corps featuring breakout star Brandon Zylstra, and big play threats Vidal Hazelton and D’hquille Williams.
Who’s starting and who’s not? Let’s find out.
Calgary at Toronto
Thursday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Messam could not be contained in Week 6, racking up three touchdowns against the Ticats (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Start: Stampeders freight train Jerome Messam ($8,217) is on a tear after putting up a combined 46.2 Fantasy points in the last two weeks. He leads a Calgary ground game averaging 5.1 yards per carry, third-best in the league. With Messam on track, Calgary no longer needs to rely on the arm of Bo Levi Mitchell ($11,175) as they face an Argonauts defence that is sixth in rushing yards per game allowed at 80.8. Messam has four touchdowns in the last two games and should open things up for Mitchell to take advantage of a Toronto secondary that gave up 340 yards and four majors to Kevin Glenn in last week’s loss at Saskatchewan.
Sit: This might be a good week to avoid Argos quarterback Ricky Ray ($10,776). While Ray and Toronto’s version of Air Canada should be able to hit the 300-yard mark for the seventh straight week, scoring will be an issue, as the Argonauts – seventh in scoring – will contend with a Stamps D that leads the league with 20.2 points allowed per game and has allowed just seven passing majors. Defensive coordinator DeVone Claybrooks’ unit is causing sheer havoc as Calgary also leads the league with 13 forced turnovers and is second with 15 sacks.
Winnipeg at Ottawa
Friday | 7:00 p.m. ET
Spencer could be a bargain that pays off for fantasy owners. The receiver is due for a breakout performance after being contained to just six catches the past three weeks (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press)
Start: Fantasy owners can’t go wrong with either starting pivot, yet the edge goes to the REDBLACKS’ Trevor Harris ($11,274), who gets to face a Bombers secondary that’s allowing 358.2 passing yards per game, trailing only Hamilton. Harris leads the league with 12 touchdown passes and while Winnipeg leads the league with nine interceptions, they are also eighth with 8.7 yards allowed per pass and have given up 12 pass plays of at least 30 yards. Pairing Harris with top threat Greg Ellingson ($7,155) will consume almost half of your salary, but if Fantasy owners desire to buddy up Harris with one of his receivers, keep Diontae Spencer ($5,501) in mind. Spencer has just six catches in the last three weeks, but the explosive playmaker is due for a breakout. Winnipeg’s secondary just might be the cure for his recent ills.
Sit: Ottawa’s soap opera-like running back situation feels as if it has yet to reach a definite conclusion, leaving William Powell ($5,161) as a player to avoid. Powell has just one game of double-digit Fantasy production and is one reason why the defending Grey Cup champs are averaging just 4.6 yards per carry and have only one run of more than 20 yards. It also doesn’t help Powell’s case that the Blue Bombers are third against the rush (76.8 yards allowed per game). If he’s not inactive, don’t be shocked if Mossis Madu — who has just two carries for nine yards since Week 3 – sees action. He and Powell were occasionally paired in the backfield in the Week 5 loss to Toronto, but it wouldn’t be wise to invest the $7,242 it will cost to add Madu to your Fantasy roster.
Hamilton at Edmonton
Friday | 9:30 p.m. ET
Reilly posted 412 yards and two touchdowns in the Esks 37-28 win over the Lions last week (The Canadian Press)
Start: Reilly has the highest salary for the week at $14,000 and should reward Fantasy owners handsomely. After a slow start, Reilly is hitting his stride, having thrown for 762 yards and five touchdowns in the last two games while adding two majors on the ground. His upward trend could spell bad news for the Tiger-Cats, who are last in the league with 396 passing yards allowed and 10.5 yards allowed per average pass. That Hamilton’s secondary that has given up a league-high 14 pass plays over 30 yards also makes Hazelton ($5,176) and Williams ($2,500) tempting options. Meanwhile, the Reilly-Zylstra connection has produced 25 catches for 328 yards and a touchdown over the past three weeks, yet another reason Zylstra ($6,045) has emerged as a reliable threat in the wake of losing Adarius Bowman to the IL.
Sit: It would be easy to point at the Hamilton defence ($4,545) or pivot Zach Collaros ($8,162), but Luke Tasker gets the nod here. Tasker ($4,779) has not had a game of double-digit Fantasy points and has just one touchdown among his 29 receptions. The Ticats’ offence will have to contend with an Eskimos pass defence that leads the league with 244.4 passing yards allowed per game and five passing majors given up. The loss of Terrence Toliver in the season opener has hurt Tasker more than imagined, as no one has stepped up and paired up with the veteran receiver on a consistent basis.
Saskatchewan at BC
Saturday | 7:00 p.m. ET
Johnson has found the end zone five times this season and is second in the league in rushing yards (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Start: Having scored in each game this season, Jeremiah Johnson ($8,817) knows how to finish the job. As long as Johnson is scoring, there’s every reason to find room for him in your starting lineup. The league’s second-leading rusher is averaging 5.9 yards per carry and leads the league with 15 runs of over ten yards, while also being a key reason why the Lions have averaged 37.3 points in last three games. Pivot Travis Lulay ($10,463) has ignited the BC offence since replacing the injured Jonathon Jennings, and his ability to get the ball downfield has opened the running lanes for Johnson.
Sit: BC receiver Nick Moore ($4,715) had ten catches for 220 yards and a touchdown against Hamilton in Week 4. In his five other games, Moore has 13 receptions for 189 and no majors. While he is ninth in the league in catches, Moore – who has five catches for 66 yards the last two games – is a risky proposition against a Roughriders pass defence that is second in fewest yards allowed (279 yards per game) and has limited opponents to eight pass plays of over 30 yards. Emmanuel Arceneaux ($6,387) and Bryan Burnham ($5,265) should get the bulk of the targets and are better plays.
