Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Defence wins championships in the real world. Having the right defence in a given week might not lead to as many points as other glitzier positions, but having the wrong defence will certainly hold down the upside of a Fantasy lineup every time. Looking for matchups against weaker offences is a good starting point to limit points allowed, but picking the top Fantasy defence weekly means looking for a unit with the ability to create sacks and turnovers as well.
Building Blocks
The Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders were tops in the league in most of the defensive categories that matter for Fantasy scoring. No defence can be good at everything, but the Stamps and Riders were pretty close to being at those points.
The Stampeders were a defensive force throughout 2017. They led the league in fewest points allowed (349), most forced turnovers (45), and most quarterback sacks (50). They even led in all the supporting, but non-point accruing, categories like net offence allowed (5,664 yards), and quarterback pressures (125). The lone reason for hesitation in crowning them the top defence for the coming 2018 season is the departure of some key players in the off-season. Charleston Hughes, Tommie Campbell, and Joe Burnett are gone from the 2017 starting lineup, leaving some questions as to how the 2018 unit will defend the pass and create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Their track record is strong, but it’s not as iron-clad as it has been in the past.
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The Roughriders, on the other hand, seem to be a defensive unit on the rise. In 2016 they were one of the most porous secondaries around, but 2017 brought significant improvements as the Riders ranked second in points allowed (430), and third in forced turnovers (40). The addition of Charleston Hughes and Zack Evans to the defensive line should help improve the pass rush, which ranked near the bottom of the league with only 27 quarterback sacks. The underlying metrics of quarterback pressures created had them in the middle of the pack at 106, so there’s reason for optimism that they will improve at converting those pressures to sacks this season.
Solid Plays
There is no team in the league that has consistently created as many turnovers as the Blue Bombers over the past two seasons. In 2016 they forced a ridiculous 62 turnovers and followed it up in 2017 by creating another 42, second only to the Stampeders in that category. The thing that holds them back from being an elite Fantasy option is their propensity to allow a lot of yardage to opposing offences, which often naturally leads to points being scored against them. They were second-worst in opposing yards allowed (7,144) and opposing offensive plays allowed (1,069) which put them in the position of having to create a turnover or giving up points. Their ability to force fumbles and interceptions still landed them in the middle of the league in the points allowed category (492), but the “bend but don’t break” style of defence always leaves Fantasy players taking a risk.
The defending Grey Cup Champion Argonauts were very stout in terms of yardage allowed (5,923) – second only to Calgary – while also coming in second in quarterback sacks with 50. They struggled to create turnovers with any consistency throughout the season, ranking sixth in that category (28), but the addition of linebacker Taylor Reed in free agency should help them out, although he’s injured to start the season. The Argonauts defence may not have the immediate Fantasy cache of the Stamps, Riders, or Bombers, but is worthy of consideration every week.
Spot Starts
The two defences in the Spot Starts tier both showed exploitable flaws for opposing offences during the 2017 season, which keeps them out of regular consideration for Fantasy purposes. They both also showed some signs for optimism that make them worthy of keeping in mind when the price and matchups are right.
The Edmonton Eskimos defence struggled to stop the running game through much of last season, ranking second to last in opposing rush yards allowed at 1,766. This allowed opponents’ offences to extend drives and stay on the field too long. They were, however, in the middle of the pack at creating turnovers (31) and quarterback sacks (44) which kept them viable. The significant point for optimism regarding the Eskimos defence comes in the hope of converting more of their quarterback pressures (121) into sacks this season. They were second only to Calgary in that statistic in 2017.
A healthier Esks’ defence could make for a sneaky Fantasy play early in 2018 (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)
Conversely, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats struggled to stop opposing offences through the air last season, ranking second to last in passing yards allowed at 5,782. All too often those passing yards were converted into touchdowns as well, as the Ticats came in second-last in the points allowed category with 545. They showed improvement in the second half of the season after the coaching change to June Jones, and their ability to create turnovers (35) and sack the quarterback (48) kept them in games. It is a little concerning that they only managed 93 quarterback pressures – last in the league in that category – as it is unlikely they’ll be able to continue to convert those into sacks at that high rate in 2018.
Long Shots
The final tier of defensive units likely won’t garner a lot of consideration for Fantasy football this season, as they each allowed a lot of yardage and points and lacked the big-play ability Fantasy players look for. Their low salary will likely make them a tempting Fantasy option, but their lack of upside makes them risky plays.
The ability of the Ottawa REDBLACKS defence to limit scoring kept them in games last season, but their inability to create turnovers or register quarterback sacks at a high level limited their upside in Fantasy contests. The REDBLACKS were third in the league in points allowed (452) but were last in the league at creating turnovers (22) and sixth in the league in quarterback sacks (31). The loss of Zack Evans on the line and Taylor Reed in the linebacking corps are added reasons they are likely to regress in 2018.
The Lions and Alouettes each ranked in the bottom-three in the league in points allowed, turnovers created, and quarterback sacks, which generally keeps them out of consideration for Fantasy lineups. The Lions have moved on from Alex Bazzie on their defensive line and from Louchiez Purifoy, Chandler Fenner, and Ronnie Yell in their secondary. It remains to be seen if the replacements will be an improvement or not this season, but the uncertainty keeps them low in the defensive rankings to start the year. The Alouettes also made some significant changes on defence in the off-season in trading away lineman Gabriel Knapton to BC and losing very talented defensive back Jonathan Mincy to the NFL. They hope the signings of Joe Burnett, Tommie Campbell, Mitchell White, Henoc Muamba and Jamaal Westerman can help improve the unit from last season, but there’s no reason to consider their defence for Fantasy purposes until they have proven themselves.
