Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca
Last week’s rash of injuries at quarterback – Kevin Glenn, Trevor Harris and Travis Lulay – certainly impacts who’s worthy of starting and who may need to be on the Fantasy sidelines entering Week 13. The aftershocks are felt mostly in Ottawa, where Greg Ellingson’s dominant season must adjust to Drew Tate, while the talented Roughriders’ receiving corps will have to wait on the status of Glenn’s injured right hand.
In the case of BC, the Lions feel confident that Jonathon Jennings’ performance last Friday is the precursor to a late season run like the one he had last fall, which would provide a huge boost to Bryan Burnham and a potential closing spurt for Emmanuel Arceneaux.
With the stretch run coming faster than Roy Finch in the open field, let’s break down the Start/Sit of Week 13:
Saskatchewan at Hamilton
Friday | 7:00 p.m. ET
Starting Kienan LaFrance at a bargain price could pay off this week (CFL.ca)
Start: At this point, one doesn’t need to be told to start Duron Carter ($7,574) or Naaman Roosevelt ($7,460). However, one should be nudged toward starting running back Kienan LaFrance ($3,500), who produced 13 Fantasy points in his first start last week at Winnipeg. The Roughriders are seventh in rushing yards (778), yet LaFrance gets a favorable matchup against a Ticats run D that allows a league-high 94.9 rushing yards per game along with six runs of over 20 yards. If Glenn ($11,111) is a no-go and Saskatchewan goes with Brandon Bridge ($2,500), the Riders may tilt slightly toward the run, making LaFrance a strong RB2 candidate.
Sit: The early reviews of Brandon Banks ($4,971) as a full-time receiver are mixed. Hamilton coach June Jones is giving the veteran an opportunity to be a featured playmaker solely on offence, costing Fantasy players the potential that used to come from his work as a return specialist. Banks had three catches for 54 yards in the Tiger-Cats win over Ottawa last Saturday, yet he and the Hamilton receiving corps face a Saskatchewan pass defence that is third in opponents’ QB efficiency (94.6) while allowing a league-low 231 completions. Without his return skills, Banks’ status as a WR2 falls considerably.
Edmonton at Toronto
Saturday | 4:00 pm. ET
Mike Reilly has the potential to bring fantasy owners big points every week and Week 13 is no exception (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Start: The Eskimos are struggling under the weight of a four-game losing streak, yet Mike Reilly showed last Saturday that he’s worth the $14,000 needed to plug him into your pivot spot. Reilly tossed for 461 yards in the loss to Calgary and racked up 781 yards in consecutive games against the Stampeders. With the loss of quality talent at quarterback, Reilly is perhaps the one sure thing as he benefits from an explosive trio of receivers in Derel Walker ($8,046), Brandon Zylstra ($6,168) and Adarius Bowman ($5,578). While the Argonauts’ defence allows the fewest passing yards per game (264.9), keep in mind that Calgary had not allowed a 300-yard passer in the previous seven games prior to facing Reilly.
Sit: Fantasy players should look in another direction when it comes to adding a running back from this contest. Neither Eskimos’ back LaDarius Perkins ($5,546) nor Argos’ runner Brandon Whitaker ($5,222) offer much potential for production. Perkins has just two majors and one 100-yard game, while Whitaker has yet to score a major with his 98 combined touches from scrimmage. Both teams have leaned on their respective passing games over the past several weeks, making their running backs afterthoughts.
BC at Calgary
Saturday | 7:00 p.m. ET
Roy Finch is a must-start this week as he is fourth in the CFL in all-purpose yards (The Canadian Press)
Start: This is a good week to play Stampeders’ running back/return specialist Roy Finch ($5,920), who comes into Week 13 ranked fourth in the league with 1,500 all-purpose yards. Finch tops the league with 835 punt return yards and three scores, and he sports a CFL-best 25.9 yards per kickoff return. The Lions’ coverage teams have struggled all season, as they are eighth in opponents’ punt return average (12.1 yards) and last in opponents’ kickoff return average (24.7 yards). BC held Finch in check during their Week 9 meeting, but doing it twice is a risky venture.
Sit: Sure, Jennings ($8,245) had a season-high 21 Fantasy Points after replacing the injured Lulay in last Friday’s win over Montreal, yet it’s not quite safe to play him as your pivot. Jennings is last in QB efficiency (80.0) and is surprisingly second in quarterback pressure percentage (25 percent). Attempting to launch a late season spurt at the expense of the league’s stingiest defence in points allowed is not the best way to start, and even with the lack of pivots due to injuries, owners will be best served with Jennings staying on their bench.
Ottawa at Montreal
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
Can B.J. Cunningham continue his production this week against Ottawa? (CFL.ca)
Start: B.J. Cunningham ($5,106) has been the most consistent Alouettes’ receiver in the team’s current skid, recording a pair of double-digit Fantasy outings in the last three weeks. Even with Darian Durant ($9,788) throwing for fewer than 140 yards twice in his last four starts, he leads the league in completion percentage on passes of 20-plus yards (51.2) and has an 8:1 TD:INT margin when he does go up top. Cunningham is second only to Ellingson ($6,663) with ten receptions of better than 30 yards and has a strong matchup against a REDBLACKS secondary that has allowed 22 passes of 30-plus yards. At the least, Cunningham deserves a Flex spot but can also be justified as a WR2.
Sit: Tyrell Sutton ($6012) is in a three-game funk that has seen him rush 21 times for a combined 68 yards (3.2 yards per carry) that included a six-carry, four-yard effort against the REDBLACKS in Week 9. Sutton has just two touchdowns all season (none since Week 4) and has offered minimal production as a receiver, making him a hard sell as an RB2. At this point, fellow Alouettes backfield mate Stefan Logan ($4535) is a more productive player and is the choice if starting a Montreal back is a must.
