The Canadian Press
Consecutive Grey Cup losses have left the Stampeders with a huge chip on their shoulder and a ton of motivation to make it to Edmonton for the 106th Grey Cup. With Jerome Messam gone, there’s a good chance Calgary will turn to the (now) healthy arm of Bo Levi Mitchell as the foundation for another run at glory.
Fantasy players will have to see how the ground game develops before investing in a Stamps running back. The loss of All-Star return specialist/running back Roy Finch is another blow for Fantasy players, yet the emergence of a fleet of young receivers will help Mitchell return from an “off” 2017.
QUARTERBACKS
On the surface, Mitchell’s numbers weren’t bad. He finished third in the league with 4,700 passing yards and threw 23 touchdowns while also tying for second with 31 completions of 30 or more yards. However, he did have issues with his arm that impacted his passing during the middle part of the season. He still finished second only to Edmonton’s Mike Reilly (109) with his 107 attempts of 20 or more yards.
Much of Mitchell’s numbers stemmed from the fact Calgary constantly blew out teams early, leaving him little opportunity to throw the ball often. Finch’s returns usually provided the Stampeders offence with great field position and it didn’t help that the defence and special teams combined for nine majors via returns.
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What was a problem, especially in Mitchell’s drop from 32 touchdown passes in 2016, was Calgary’s reliance on field goals. The Stampeders were second in the league with 53 field goals, with many of them due to the fact the offence was unable to cash in majors inside the red zone.
If the Stamps are going to throw the ball more, Mitchell is going to be a major rebound candidate. Just because he disappointed Fantasy players last year doesn’t mean Mitchell hasn’t forgotten to wing the ball downfield. With a corps of young receivers at his disposal, there are going to be many weeks when Mitchell will have Fantasy players reconnecting with him.
The race to back up Mitchell has been interesting. Veteran Ricky Stanzi has the edge in experience but will have to hold off Nick Arbuckle and Larry Brihm.
RUNNING BACKS
Messam gave Calgary 20 rushing touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards the past two seasons but the Stampeders let the 33-year-old go in order to give a crop of younger backs a chance to establish themselves.
Terry Williams had a remarkable performance in Week 15 when he filled in for Messam and ran for 156 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Montreal but only had four carries the remainder of the season. Unlike Messam, Williams has home run speed and showed he could create havoc after the catch (17.6 yards per reception). He should be the lead back that is capable of handling 18-22 touches a night. Fantasy players should look at him as a strong RB2 with upside.
Former NFL’er Don Jackson has a similar running style to Williams and will get a chance to see his share of carries. He could surpass Williams once he has a good feel of the Canadian style of play. Whereas Williams and Jackson rely on speed, Rushel Shell relies on power to get the job done. The 227-pounder should earn a roster spot because of his ability to run between the tackles and handle short yardage situations.
If Terry Williams starts, he could offer tremendous early-season value for the Stamps (The Canadian Press)
Boston Rowe and Atlee Simon, who both were drafted by Calgary last month, will be longshots to make the roster.
There is no one on the roster who can come close to duplicating what Finch gave the team. Finch was fifth in the league with 2,147 all-purpose yards and led the league in both kickoff and punt return average, scoring three times on punts.
RECEIVERS
Marquay McDaniel called it a career after catching 65 passes for 808 yards and four touchdowns last season. The Stampeders will miss him but have a bevy of young talent that will rise to the occasion.
The late addition of Eric Rogers, who led the CFL with 1,448 receiving yards the last time he was in the league in 2015, could bump everyone down the depth chart. But it could take some time for Rogers to work his way back into the Stamps’ offence after two years away, much of which was spent rehabbing a knee injury.
The two best plays for Fantasy for now are DaVaris Daniels and Marken Michel, who are entering their third and second years, respectively. Daniels put together a remarkable Grey Cup, catching 11 passes for 113 yards and a two-point conversion and comes into the season as the potential featured pass catcher in Calgary. He missed five games last season yet caught 47 passes for 743 yards and four majors along with a team-best nine catches of over 30 yards. Health is about the only thing that will keep Daniels from reaching his first 1,000-yard season.
Michel had a 190-yard outing after he replaced an injured Daniels in Week 6 against Hamilton. His production tailed off at the end of the season and playoffs as he finished with 47 receptions for 780 yards and three touchdowns. He has the upside for much more and if Mitchell gets him involved from the outset, Michel can easily finish 2018 with 70-1,050-7.
Marken Michel faded late in 2017, but should be a consistent option in his sophomore season (Mike Sturk/CFL.ca)
Kamar Jorden has also emerged as a force and has a knack for finding the end zone after recording seven touchdowns in 10 games last season. If he can stay healthy and play close to 18 games, he could be among the most productive receivers in Fantasy this season.
Although Reginald Begelton had just 22 catches, he could figure a little more prominently in the Stamps’ passing attack. He has Flex option appeal for Fantasy players and could be a major bargain. Anthony Parker pulled in 36 passes and scored three times while becoming more involved later in the regular season. Juwan Brescacin could be a solid underneath option who will see his share of targets while Lemar Durant, who had a strong start to 2017 before injuries hampered him, will also be a major factor once he returns.
Julan Lynch returns to the Stamps receiving corps while Richard Sindani will look to crack the roster in a reserve role. The most intriguing of the newcomers will be Kylen Towner, who averaged 40.3 yards per kickoff return for Western Kentucky in 2016 and had four returns for touchdowns. Towner will have the chance to replace Finch and would be an interesting Fantasy option.
DEFENCE
The Stampeders led the league with just 19.4 points allowed per game. The unit gave up just 28 offensive touchdowns on their way to topping the league in fewest yards allowed along with a host of other categories. A pass rush that recorded a league-tying 50 sacks was the foundation of the unit, which created 45 turnovers.
Linebacker Alex Singleton led the D with 123 stops to go along with four sacks and an interception. Fellow ‘backer Jameer Thurman added 52 tackles while defensive back Ciante Evans led the team with five interceptions. Linemen Ja’Gared Davis and Micah Johnson shared the team lead with nine sacks. The Stampeders did take a hit, with Charleston Hughes and Tommie Campbell both departing from the defence along with Shaquille Richardson.
Calgary will be a lockdown unit almost every week, making them the best play among the defences.
