Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS
Week 2 of the TSN CFL Fantasy docket means the REDBLACKS are coming, giving players ample firepower across the board.
Nowhere is that more apparent than at receiver, where All-Stars Greg Ellingson and Diontae Spencer own two of the top three spots in the rankings at the position going into their regular season opener against Saskatchewan. Ellingson, who led the league last season with 12 touchdown receptions and 15 catches of better than 30 yards, comes in at $6,142, just behind the $6,513 price tag of Spencer, who finished second to BC’s Chris Rainey in all-purpose yards in 2017.
Fantasy players are also banking on Ottawa running back William Powell to pick up where he left off at the end of last year. Powell ($7,640, tops at the position) ran for 833 yards and three touchdowns in his last six games and finished with 1,026 yards. A healthy Powell will have his hands full against a Roughriders defence that allowed just 54 total rushing yards against the Argonauts in Week 1.
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The engine of the offence, pivot Trevor Harris, will be ready after a lower-body injury in the exhibition opener produced a scare across Ottawa. Harris opens the regular season with a salary of $9,488 and will look to strafe the Riders secondary in the same manner he did in the East Semi-Final, where he threw for 457 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the loss.
To no surprise, Edmonton’s Mike Reilly maintains his $14,000 salary and has the top receiver on the board in Derel Walker ($6,534). The duo teamed up for eight connections for 176 yards in the 33-30 marathon victory over Winnipeg that included a 101-yard major. The Eskimos complete the sweep of position players with running back C.J. Gable ($7,330) getting the slight edge over Toronto’s James Wilder ($7,303).
Both Toronto’s Ricky Ray ($9,421) and Hamilton’s Jeremiah Masoli ($9,874) are looking for rebounds after disappointing Week 1 efforts. Neither threw a touchdown pass last week, although Masoli did record a rushing score in the Ticats’ loss to the Stampeders. Blue Bombers pivot Chris Streveler ($2,500) is an intriguing option when Winnipeg visits Montreal. Streveler threw for three touchdowns and added 30 yards on seven carries in the loss to the Eskimos and will have Darvin Adams ($6,104) and Weston Dressler ($4,686) to pass to, while also hoping to get Adarius Bowman more involved after Bowman ($4,481) failed to record a catch in his first game against his former Edmonton teammates.
Wilder will still be a top Fantasy option when Toronto hosts Calgary in a Grey Cup rematch, but Stampeders running back Don Jackson will be the best bargain for Fantasy players this week. Jackson ($2,500) rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown in his debut and could see a bigger workload on Saturday evening. Fantasy players are hoping that Wilder can rebound from a five-carry, 16-yard outing in Friday’s loss to Saskatchewan. He still hit double digits in Fantasy points due to his four catches for 68 yards, but his salary level demands more production.
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Another potential bargain in the backfield could be Hamilton’s John White, who may be in the lineup for the Ticats after being signed as a free agent last week. White comes in at a reasonable $4,546 and could see a solid workload as a runner and receiver. Keep an eye on Roughriders backup Tre Mason ($2,500), who had 37 yards on five carries last Friday and could carve into the touches of Jerome Messam ($4,482), who had 72 yards on 21 carries.
Expect rebound weeks from Hamilton’s Brandon Banks ($7,256), who had just 19 yards on four catches in Week 1, while Saskatchewan’s Duron Carter ($4,310) managed only 36 yards and three catches in his 2018 debut. Edmonton’s Kenny Stafford ($3,553) presents a potential bargain for Fantasy players while Montreal’s Chris Williams ($3,798) showed flashes of the All-Star form he had in Ottawa in 2016 after pulling in six catches for 98 yards in the Alouettes’ loss at the Lions.
Defensively, the Blue Bombers ($5,020) top the list as they face a Montreal offence that will try to keep the franchise from a 14th straight loss. The Stampeders ($5,273) remains stout, while the Eskimos ($3,710) provide a possible bargain.
Here are this week’s rankings:
QUARTERBACKS
Matchup Rank (Position Rank) | Player | Value | Opponent |
1 (1) | Mike Reilly, EDM | $14,000 | HAM |
2 (3) | Trevor Harris, OTT | $9,488 | SSK |
3 (2) | Jeremiah Masoli, HAM | $9,874 | EDM |
4 (4) | Ricky Ray, TOR | $9,421 | CGY |
5 (5) | Bo Levi Mitchell, CGY | $8,104 | TOR |
6 (6) | Zach Collaros, SSK | $6,465 | OTT |
7 (T-15) | Chris Streveler, WPG | $2,500 | MTL |
8 (13) | Drew Willy, MTL | $4,575 | WPG |
9 (14) | James Franklin, TOR | $4,005 | CGY |
10 (T-15) | Brandon Bridge, SSK | $4,878 | OTT |
RUNNING BACKS
Matchup Rank (Position Rank) | Player | Value | Opponent |
1 (2) | C.J. Gable, EDM | $7,330 | HAM |
2 (3) | James Wilder Jr., TOR | $7,303 | CGY |
3 (1) | William Powell, OTT | $7,640 | SSK |
4 (10) | Andrew Harris, WPG | $5,755 | MTL |
5 (T-16) | Don Jackson, CGY | $2,500 | TOR |
6 (4) | Tyrell Sutton, MTL | $6,343 | WPG |
7 (7) | Jerome Messam, SSK | $4,482 | OTT |
8 (6) | John White, HAM | $4,546 | EDM |
9 (T-16) | Tre Mason, SSK | $2,500 | OTT |
10 (11) | Terry Williams, CGY | $3,859 | TOR |
11 (T-16) | Christion Jones, SSK | $2,500 | OTT |
12 (10) | Martese Jackson, TOR | $3,946 | CGY |
13 (15) | Declan Cross, TOR | $2,756 | CGY |
14 (T-16) | Mercer Timmis, HAM | $2,500 | EDM |
15 (14) | Stefan Logan, MTL | $3,396 | WPG |
16 (T-16) | Nikita Whitlock, HAM | $2,500 | EDM |
RECEIVERS
Matchup Rank (Position Rank) | Player | Value | Opponent |
1 (2) | Derel Walker, EDM | $6,534 | HAM |
2 (4) | Greg Ellingson, OTT | $6,142 | SSK |
3 (3) | Diontae Spencer, OTT | $6,513 | SSK |
4 (5) | S.J. Green, TOR | $5,965 | CGY |
5 (9) | Kamar Jorden, CGY | $5,260 | TOR |
6 (1) | Brandon Banks, HAM | $7,256 | EDM |
7 (7) | Naaman Roosevelt, SSK | $5,591 | OTT |
8 (13) | D’haquille Williams, EDM | $3,276 | HAM |
9 (8) | Darvin Adams, WPG | $6,104 | MTL |
10 (10) | Jalen Saunders, HAM | $5,157 | EDM |
11 (17) | DaVaris Daniels, CGY | $3,942 | TOR |
12 (8) | Luke Tasker, HAM | $5,563 | EDM |
13 (15) | Duron Carter, SSK | $4,310 | OTT |
14 (23) | Kenny Stafford, EDM | $3,553 | HAM |
15 (12) | Weston Dressler, WPG | $4,686 | MTL |
16 (25) | Brad Sinopoli, OTT | $3,229 | SSK |
17 (24) | Ernest Jackson, MTL | $3,385 | WPG |
18 (14) | Marken Michel, CGY | $4,380 | TOR |
19 (16) | Armanti Edwards, TOR | $4,040 | CGY |
20 (20) | Chris Williams, MTL | $3,798 | WPG |
21 (19) | Caleb Holley, SSK | $3,806 | OTT |
22 (18) | B.J. Cunningham, MTL | $3,888 | WPG |
23 (22) | Vidal Hazelton, EDM | $3,646 | HAM |
24 (13) | Adarius Bowman, WPG | $4,481 | MTL |
25 (6) | Eric Rogers, CGY | $5,771 | TOR |
26 (T-30) | Juwan Brescacin, CGY | $2,500 | TOR |
27 (T-30) | Nik Demski, WPG | $2,500 | MTL |
28 (T-30) | Brian Tyms, TOR | $2,500 | CGY |
29 (T-30) | Mike Jones, HAM | $2,500 | EDM |
30 (T-30) | Dominique Rhymes, OTT | $2,500 | SSK |
DEFENCE
Matchup Rank (Position Rank) | Team | Value | Opponent |
1 (2) | Winnipeg | $5,020 | MTL |
2 (1) | Calgary | $5,273 | TOR |
3 (3) | Saskatchewan | $4,697 | OTT |
4 (5) | Edmonton | $3,710 | HAM |
5 (4) | Hamilton | $4,031 | EDM |
6 (7) | Toronto | $3,200 | CGY |
7 (7) | Ottawa | $3,417 | SSK |
8 (6) | Montreal | $3,200 | WPG |