Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
TORONTO — While the CFL is a passing league featuring high scores and big plays, the backbone of any Grey Cup team is a good defence.
That is not the case in fantasy, but at the same time, don’t underestimate the importance of the team defence position. It could make the difference between a really good week and No. 1 on the leaderboard.
Team defences have a significant impact on the game, whether your choice ends up losing you points or you subscribe to the strategy of leaving that position blank every week. Defences don’t break the bank but can earn you steady points if you play the matchups right.
While the Stampeders have the most expensive defence going into Week 14 ($5,497), other units may offer better value:
| TEAM | GAMES | POINTS | HIGH | LOW | AVG | VALUE |
| CGY | 12 | 174 | 19 | 3 | 14.5 | $5,497 |
| SSK | 11 | 160 | 29 | -1 | 14.5 | $4,762 |
| TOR | 12 | 144 | 20 | -2 | 12.0 | $3,540 |
| WPG | 11 | 139 | 15 | -1 | 12.6 | $4,862 |
| HAM | 11 | 129 | 14 | -4 | 11.7 | $3,644 |
| EDM | 12 | 126 | 9 | -2 | 10.5 | $3,482 |
| BC | 12 | 118 | 17 | 0 | 9.8 | $3,375 |
| OTT | 13 | 112 | 14 | -2 | 8.6 | $3,469 |
| MTL | 12 | 107 | 9 | -1 | 8.9 | $3,808 |
The Stamps’ defence has consistency on its side, with 14.5 points per game, a season-high of 19 and not a single game in the negative. Knowing that you’re going to get solid production from a defence makes the $5,497 worth it any week of the season, but especially when the matchup is right.
A cheaper but equally effective boom or bust option is the Rider defence, which is tied with Calgary at 14.5 points per game but has registered by far the two highest scores of the season, with separate outings of 29 points and 28 points each. The Rider defence is $735 cheaper than Calgary’s, but has gained a large chunk of points from those two games alone.
The best value among defences may just come out of Toronto, which has averaged 12 points per game (fourth in the CFL) but is the fourth-cheapest in the league.
While the Lions’ defence ranks seventh with 118 points (9.8 points per game in total), that unit may be the CFL’s most consistent. The Lions are one of two teams to avoid losing points in a game, while the cost of $3,375 is actually the cheapest available.
Granted, defensive results are unpredictable at best. The idea of spending more then $5,000 on a defence and earning only a couple of points or, worse yet, losing points, doesn’t sit well with Fantasy players. On the other hand, a strong defensive performance is necessary to log a higher score.
The following top defensive outputs of 2017 have helped Fantasy players win week-high scores:
| TEAM | POINTS | WEEK | OPPONENT |
| SSK | 29 | 10 | @ EDM |
| SSK | 28 | 8 | vs. BC |
| TOR | 20 | 9 | vs. MTL |
| CGY | 19 | 3 | @ WPG |
| CGY | 18 | 6 | vs. HAM |
| BC | 17 | 12 | vs. MTL |
| WPG | 15 | 8 | @ HAM |
| TOR | 15 | 3 | @ OTT |
| CGY | 14 | 13 | vs. BC |
| OTT | 14 | 11 | vs. MTL |
| HAM | 14 | 5 | vs. EDM |
Of the top 11, Montreal appears as an opponent three times, Edmonton, BC and Hamilton each appear twice, while Ottawa and Winnipeg only show up once. The Ticats and Alouettes have been most generous for opposing defences this season, making up four of the top seven defensive outputs.
Toronto, Calgary and Saskatchewan don’t appear anywhere, meaning avoid defences that are facing those three opponents.
At the end of the day, there’s a strong element of luck involved in choosing the right defence for your team. But if you lean on tendencies and pick the right matchups, a big score could be in order.
