December 5, 2017

Reilly, Spencer headline 2017 All-Fantasy Team

Arthur Ward/CFL.ca

TORONTO — With the first year of TSN CFL Fantasy in the books, it’s time to look back on some of the biggest performers of the 2017 season.

The 2017 CFL All-Fantasy team comes on the same day the league announced its 2017 CFL All-Star selections, which recognized 27 of the league’s top performers this season on offence, defence and special teams.

Some of this year’s top Fantasy contributors may come as a surprise — like Diontae Spencer, whose added participation in the return game helped him tie Andrew Harris for the most points among non-quarterbacks season. Others, like Mike Reilly, are a little more obvious.

CFL.ca breaks it all down:

2017 CFL All-Fantasy Team

Brandon Zylstra not only topped the CFL in receiving yards but was a consistent Fantasy producer in 2017 (Walter Tychnowicz/CFL.ca)

QB Mike Reilly
EDM | 494.1 Pts

Mike Reilly was the gold standard in CFL Fantasy this year, with his $14,000 salary serving as the measure stick for all other players in the game from the start of the season to the end of it.

In the end, the Most Outstanding Player was worth the cap crunch, registering 20-plus points in all but four games this season, including each of the final 10 games in 2017.


RB Andrew Harris
WPG | 243.2 Pts

Bombers running back Andrew Harris was the most consistent non-quarterback in Fantasy this year, tying Diontae Spencer with a league-best 243.2 points.

At a position where production can be spotty, Harris was more than worth his expensive price tag in exchange for peace of mind at RB.


RB Jeremiah Johnson
BC | 224.2 Pts

Jeremiah Johnson was the Fantasy MVP of the first half of the season, scoring a touchdown in each of his first six games to lead all non-quarterbacks.

Despite fading in the second half of the season, Johnson’s combined 1,455 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground and through the air made him the second-best running back in 2017.


REC Diontae Spencer
OTT | 243.2 Pts

A bust-or-boom Fantasy player if there ever was one, Diontae Spencer came on hot at the end of the season to tie Andrew Harris for the most points among non-quarterbacks.

Spencer had a monstrous individual performance in Week 19 when he broke an all-purpose yards record against the Ticats (nearly 500 yards) to earn him 27.9 points. By the end of the year, Spencer’s $7,218 salary was the second-highest among receivers.


REC Brandon Zylstra
EDM | 240.0 Pts

Brandon Zylstra was the polar opposite of Spencer in 2017, providing points Fantasy players could count on week in and week out.

The league’s leading receiver went over 100 yards in 11 out of 17 games, including five over the 150 mark. The only thing holding him back was his lack of touchdowns; Zylstra was held to five majors in 2017.


FLEX Greg Ellingson
OTT | 227.1 Pts

This season was a tale of two halves for Greg Ellingson, who was a must-own through the first nine games before fading after that.

By late in the year, Ellingson at $6,154 was a relative bargain, rewarding his faithful Fantasy owners with five touchdowns over his final five games.


DEF Calgary Stampeders
CGY | 167.0 Pts

The Mike Reilly of defences, the Stampeders raised the bar on that side of the ball in 2017, leading all units with 167 points.

Fantasy users often avoided the Stamps’ defence because of the expensive price tag ($4,868), yet DeVone Claybrooks’ unit consistently put up points — a rarity among team defences.


Second-team

While Mike Reilly and Diontae Spencer were the best of the best in 2017, there were plenty of other noteworthy performances.

Ricky Ray enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, going over 5,000 passing yards for the fourth time at the age of 38. Jerome Messam cooled off later in the season but still ranked third among running backs with 212.2 points.

At receiver, S.J. Green, after being traded for a sixth round pick, defied the odds with 218.5 points this season. He led all receivers in targets and was the Argos’ Fantasy co-MVP alongside Ricky Ray.

Two Ticats, one departed to Edmonton via trade, dominated late in the season as Brandon Banks and C.J. Gable were weekly must-owns by Week 14.

Let’s take a look at who would make a second All-Fantasy Team:

QB – Ricky Ray 345.6

RB – Jerome Messam 212.2

RB – Chris Rainey 208.3

REC – S.J. Green 218.5

REC – Brandon Banks 210.1

FLEX – C.J. Gable 200.0

DEF – Toronto Argonauts 156.0