June 9, 2018

Buyer beware when it comes to Als’ talented playmakers

Jason Halstead/CFL.ca

The Alouettes endured one of the darkest seasons in the proud history of the franchise in 2017, winning only three games in a campaign that ended with a 10-game losing streak. Adding pivot Darian Durant and receiver Ernest Jackson failed to ramp up an offence that averaged a mere 17.4 points per game and finished at or near the bottom of the league in a majority of offensive categories.

New coach Mike Sherman and offensive coordinator Khari Jones will have their hands full attempting to give the Montreal attack some bite. Until they do so on a consistent basis, Fantasy players will continue to avoid using Alouettes to fill out their roster.

QUARTERBACKS

Well-traveled Drew Willy likely opens the regular season as the starter after Durant’s departure. By far the most experienced pivot on the roster, Willy garnered a couple of starts at the end of the season, finishing with 547 yards and a touchdown. He has the physical tools to become a steady Fantasy performer, yet only once in his seven-year career (Winnipeg in 2014) has Willy been the primary starter for the majority of a season. With little expected out of the Alouettes, Willy has the opportunity to surprise Fantasy players, but a slow start could lead to another change at the position.


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Matthew Shiltz has the most upside of the remaining Als quarterbacks and is regarded as the team’s pivot of the future. Shiltz threw four interceptions in limited duty in his rookie season but did show off his running skills by averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Once the Als commit to him as the starter, Shiltz will experience growing pains but may show enough potential to make him Fantasy viable by this time next year.

Former NFL first round pick Josh Freeman signed with the team in the off-season but announced his retirement on May 26. Freeman’s departure opens the door for either Antonio Pipkin or Garrett Fugate to win the third spot. Pipkin attempted nine passes last season but has intriguing dual threat skills. Fugate had a brief stint with the Green Bay Packers late in the 2017 NFL campaign and is getting his first taste of the CFL.

RUNNING BACKS

For all of their offensive woes, the Alouettes were effective running the ball, finishing third in the league with 1,718 total yards on the ground. Montreal also led the league with 14 runs of more than 20 yards and their 5.7 yards per carry average was topped only by Hamilton’s 6.1.

Tyrell Sutton bounced back after an injury-plagued 2016 limited him to just seven games and led the Alouettes with 843 yards on 152 carries. At 31, Sutton shows no signs of decline as he averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored five rushing touchdowns last season. He was the team’s most effective offensive weapon late in the season, recording a pair of 100-yard games and three scores after Week 13. Sutton also had a career-high 44 receptions that included a major and will go into the season as a risky RB2 that would be more reliable for Fantasy players if the offensive line improves.

The departure of Brandon Rutley leaves questions behind Sutton. Stefan Logan returns for a fourth season in Montreal, but the 36-year-old return specialist had just 16 touches from scrimmage last year. Among the pack of youngsters vying for a roster spot, William Stanback, Amir Carlisle and fourth-round pick Ryder Stone have the best chance to be low-end Fantasy options should Sutton miss time.

RECEIVERS

B.J. Cunningham quietly put together the best season of his career, leading the team in targets (120), receptions (69) and yards (1,128). He showed his big-play skills, ranking among the league leaders with 12 receptions of more than 30 yards. Cunningham’s numbers could improve with better quarterback play, which is why he should be considered more of a mid-tier WR2/Flex entering the season.

Jackson recorded consecutive 100-yard games in Weeks 4-5 and scored three times between Weeks 6-10. His season declined with the rest of the Montreal offence as Jackson never topped 73 yards and scored just once after Week 12. At age 31, it’s hard to feel optimistic that Jackson can duplicate the 2,261 yards and 15 touchdowns he combined for in his last two seasons with Ottawa in 2015-16.

B.J. Cunningham is looking to build on a breakout season after hitting 1,000 yards (The Canadian Press)

While Nik Lewis retired as the league’s all-time leader in receptions, the Als are hoping the addition of Chris Williams will add some spark to the receiving corps. Williams never got on track with BC after a 2016 knee injury forced him to miss the first six weeks of the regular season. Unable to display the game-altering speed that made him an All-Star in both Hamilton and Ottawa, Williams finished with just 38 receptions for 415 yards and one touchdown. There’s too much risk in Williams for Fantasy players to seriously consider him, although he’s shown signs of looking like his old self early in training camp.

T.J. Graham (11-131-0) is a speedster who could be a factor either in the slot or outside, while George Johnson (13-117-2) appears to be set at field wideout. Eugene Lewis made a lasting impression in his two games with the Als, pulling in seven of his nine targets for 120 yards. With Tiquan Underwood gone, at least one of this trio stands a chance to get the bulk of the 147 targets that left with Lewis and Underwood.

Keep an eye on Jamal Robinson, who was acquired from the Tiger-Cats in the blockbuster deal that resulted in Montreal trading the first overall pick in this year’s draft. The former Jacksonville Jaguar has the tools (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) to break into the rotation.

DEFENCE

The Alouettes allowed a league-high 58 touchdowns while giving up a league-worst 408 yards per game. It didn’t help matters that defensive coordinator Kahil Carter suddenly departed before the start of training camp, further adding to the mountain the unit faces on the road towards improvement.

Montreal, which finished with a league-low 25 sacks, added veteran defensive end Jamaal Westerman and his 32 career sacks from Winnipeg along with linebacker Henoc Muamba from Saskatchewan. The secondary lost Jonathan Mincy to the NFL but plucked Joe Burnett and Tommie Campbell away from Calgary, along with Mitchell White from Toronto. Still, few Fantasy players will look toward the Alouettes defence as a source of positive production.