June 18, 2018

RotoExperts: CFL Week 2 Fantasy Rankings

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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In his first professional game, Chris Streveler proved as a bargain pick for fantasy owners with an 18.1-point performance in Week 1. (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

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