June 14, 2018

Fantasy: Who are the locks for Week 1?

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

TORONTO — A quarterback, a receiver and a running back lead the Week 1 Fantasy locks, as Bo Levi Mitchell, Derel Walker and James Wilder Jr. are seen as can’t-miss starters.

Every week Pat Steinberg, Jeff Krever and Hannah Nordman weigh in on the CFL Fantasy Podcast with their locks and money picks, offering up the players that, based on cost and projected performance, are simply too good to pass up on in your lineup.

“I’m starting with Bo Levi Mitchell,” said Krever. “I think the shoulder’s better this year, he’s lost a bit of weight, maybe he runs a bit more. But the biggest thing is there’s a little bit of swagger there. I think the Stamps feel like they’ve been dissed a little bit after losing two Grey Cups in a row and the way they lost them. They’ve got something to prove this season and Bo comes out firing.”

You can listen to the first episode of the CFL’s first all-Fantasy podcast right here, and if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to sign up and set your roster on TSN CFL Fantasy, with $10,000 up for grabs for the year-long winner.


RELATED
» Total CFL Pick ‘Em: Make your picks today!
» Be the GM in CFL Fantasy
» RotoExperts: The 2018 CFL Fantasy Guide
» Lineup Tools: Rankings, projections and more


At receiver, look no further than Eskimos receiver Derel Walker, who’s expected to receive a significant share of targets this season following the departures of Brandon Zylstra and Adarius Bowman. Walker checks in at a cool $5,755 and can provide elite production without breaking the bank.

“He is the seventh-highest ranked receiver in terms of Fantasy price in Week 1,” said Steinberg. “We’ve already talked about exploiting Mike Reilly as a quarterback and doing that by putting his receivers in the lineup. For me it’s no questions asked, Derel Walker is going to be the most dangerous guy there this season and I’m there to pounce on that against Winnipeg.”

Despite the high price tag on James Widler Jr. ($8,216), Nordman has no problem taking the Argos’ workhorse back in Week 1. With the Argos missing some of their top targets from last season, Wilder could benefit from the new scoring that rewards a point per reception, especially in a matchup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“I love what he brings on the ground and through the air,” said Nordman. “I’m putting my money on him and I’m going to pair him with Ricky Ray to hopefully cash in on some double points this week.”

Projections below powered by RotoExperts.

CFL Fantasy Podcast Week 1 Locks

WEEK 1 PLAYER POSITION SALARY PROJECTION
KREVER Bo Levi Mitchell QB $8,104 18.5
STEINBERG Derel Walker REC $5,755 16.3
NORDMAN James Wilder Jr. RB $8,216 23.6

CFL Fantasy Podcast Week 1 Money Picks

WEEK 1 PLAYER POSITION SALARY PROJECTION
KREVER Martese Jackson RB $3,921 4.7
STEINBERG Terry Williams RB $3,595 21
NORDMAN Nic Demski REC $2,500 5.9