Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Week 8 of the Fantasy season won’t lack for intriguing storylines, be it Argonauts slot S.J. Green returning to Montreal for the first time since being traded by the Alouettes, or the potential for another “last team with the ball wins” thriller pitting Edmonton’s Mike Reilly against Ottawa’s Trevor Harris.
In Hamilton, Matt Nichols and his knack for delivering in the clutch could be tested by a Tiger-Cats team that showed its fight and pride in a close loss to the Eskimos last week, while the league’s burning question will be solved as either Jonathon Jennings or Travis Lulay gets the keys to a BC car looking to drive past Saskatchewan for a second straight week.
Who’s going to benefit and who’s going to lead to Fantasy disappointment? Let’s find out.
Edmonton at Ottawa
Thursday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Is starting Mike Reilly this week worth the price tag? (CFL.ca)
Start: In a game that will have plenty of Fantasy firepower on display, spend the $14,000 on Reilly, the hottest pivot in Fantasy play. Reilly is averaging 31.8 Fantasy points per game in the last three weeks and faces a REDBLACKS pass defence that’s allowing 348.6 yards per game and given up a league-high 204 completions. Those numbers play perfectly into Reilly’s 73 percent completion rate. Ottawa is tied with both Hamilton and Saskatchewan with 13 touchdown passes allowed, and with Reilly having thrown multiple majors in each of his past three games, the temptation to plug him into your pivot spot is too strong to ignore.
Sit: Brandon Zylstra’s ($4,614) availability remains in question, as the Eskimos’ leading receiver sat out Monday’s practice. While the chance exists that he could still suit up, Reilly will be just fine spreading the ball around to the likes of Vidal Hazelton ($5,492), Bryant Mitchell ($2,500) and Cory Watson ($2,500). Six different receivers have caught touchdowns from Reilly thus far, so while the potential loss of one of the league’s top receivers will hurt, the Eskimos’ “next man up” mentality opens the door for someone else in the Edmonton passing game.
Toronto at Montreal
Friday | 7:30 p.m. ET
BJ Cunningham may be a solid pick for fantasy owners as he looks for his third-straight 100-yard game (CFL.ca)
Start: Als receiver B.J. Cunningham ($5,711) has quietly shined, putting up double-digit Fantasy points in four of his six games, including the last three prior to the Week 7 open date. Cunningham averages 18.3 yards per catch and while the Argonauts are third in the league in fewest passing yards allowed, they have also allowed seven touchdown passes in their last two games. Keeping Cunningham from a third straight 100-yard outing will be a challenge for Toronto, as he is tied with BC’s Bryan Burnham with the second-most receptions of 30-plus yards (six) and has a revived Darian Durant ($9,582), who has thrown for a combined 800 yards and four majors in his last two starts.
Sit: Ray ($9,486) was a risky proposition before sustaining his shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss to Calgary. While he leads the league with 2,422 passing yards, Ray’s inability to convert second downs has been overlooked, as he has moved the chains just 46.3 percent of the time, a number that ranks second only to Hamilton’s Zach Collaros (35.1 percent) among the league’s lowest success rates among quarterbacks. The Argonauts have also struggled in the red zone, converting only 36 percent of their attempts inside their opponents’ 20-yard line, placing them dead last in the league. Those numbers could take a downward trend if Ray fails to answer the bell and Cody Fajardo gets the start.
Winnipeg at Hamilton
Saturday | 7:30 p.m. ET
With the absence of Weston Dressler, TJ Thorpe may become Matt Nichols’ new favourite target (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Start: Blue Bombers receiver T.J. Thorpe ($2,500) has averaged nearly nine targets per game in the three starts since he was added from the practice squad. Thorpe has caught 20 of the 26 passes thrown in his direction and while he has yet to turn one of those receptions into a major, the Tiger-Cats’ secondary is allowing a league-high 382.8 passing yards per game, which enhances Thorpe’s chances of crossing the end zone for the first time this season. He’ll maintain that average as Nichols ($10,926) has turned to Thorpe as an underneath option in the wake of Weston Dressler going on the six-game injured list.
Sit: C.J. Gable ($4,990) has averaged 7.4 yards per carry in his two games since returning to the starting lineup. Unfortunately, he’s only had 13 carries and would – at least on paper – have a good matchup against a Winnipeg run defence allowing 5.4 yards per carry. They’ve also given up five runs of more than 20 yards. Hamilton is second only to Montreal with in average yards per rush (6.0) yet have only a combined 63 carries. If the Ticats used Gable’s running as the foundation of a game plan against the Bombers, they might be able to pull off their first win of the season, but that’s an unlikely idea that Fantasy owners shouldn’t put much stock in.
BC at Saskatchewan
Sunday | 8:00 p.m. ET
Can Chris Williams build on his three-catch opening performance this week? (The Canadian Press)
Start: Regardless of whether Jennings ($9,712) or Lulay ($11,195) starts, expect Chris Williams to build further on his three-catch, 75-yard debut in last week’s win over the Roughriders. Lulay leads all passers with a 61.6 percent completion rate on passes thrown beyond 20 yards, which plays right into the strengths of the speedy Williams ($6,460), who had a 49-yard reception in his first game with the Lions. Jennings has completed just 47.4 percent of his attempts of 20-plus yards with one touchdown. Either way, Williams won’t waste time contributing to an already-potent Lions receiving corps.
Sit: Bakari Grant ($4,882) opened the season as one of the hottest receivers in Fantasy play, as the Riders’ receiver caught touchdown passes in each of his first three games. He has been silent the past three weeks, failing to score in each game and is also coming off a four-catch, 32-yard effort in last week’s loss at BC that also included Grant losing a fumble. With Duron Carter ($5,870) having put up a combined 40.4 Fantasy points the last two weeks and Naaman Roosevelt ($6,300) putting up double-digit Fantasy production in four of his last five games, Grant appears to be the odd man out of the Saskatchewan passing attack.
