The Canadian Press
With only three games on the Week 9 docket, knowing who to start and who needs to sit becomes more important. While last week’s Fantasy numbers were dominated by receivers, this week leans in favour of the running backs (and one receiver who’s shown he can run like a back).
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Edmonton (5-2-0) at BC (2-4-0)
Thursday | 10:00 p.m. ET
Start: Travon Van, RB, Lions, $4,816 Salary
The Lions will have to make do without veteran sledgehammer Jeremiah Johnson ($7,158), who was placed on the 1-game Injured List on Wednesday. Enter Van, who gets his first start with BC against an Edmonton squad that he played with for six games last season. The Eskimos have been suspect versus the run, allowing 124.3 yards per game, but it’s the 5.8 yards per carry they allow which makes Van a good play. Fantasy users in need of an extra nudge toward Van should also keep in mind that the Eskimos have allowed a league-high 10 rushing majors (a number they share with, oddly enough, the Lions), so Van’s name will get the first call near the goal line. Those in search of a bargain need to look no further, as Van has a great chance to rack up Fantasy points.
Sit: Travis Lulay, QB, Lions, $6,043 Salary
BC loves the deep ball (13 completions of better than 30 yards), but the lack of scoring punch makes investing in Lulay a risky proposition. The Lions are averaging only 21 points per game and have averaged only one passing major per contest. Lulay has averaged more than 310 yards per game in his three starts, but he will have his hands full facing an Edmonton pass rush that is tied for the league lead with 17 sacks. Add that to a Lions O-line that has allowed 12 sacks and an error-prone offence that has a -5-turnover ratio, and the recipe for a good Lulay performance doesn’t smell tasty.
Hamilton (3-4-0) at Winnipeg (4-3-0)
Friday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Start: Nic Demski, WR, Blue Bombers, $4,918 Salary
Oh, this is a sneaky good pick for users who love to gamble. Demski is beginning to thrive in the hybrid role of running back/receiver and comes off a game that saw him put up 28.6 FP in Winnipeg’s Week 7 win over Toronto. Demski scored both a receiving and a rushing touchdown in that game while producing 116 yards from scrimmage on just eight touches. With Hamilton and its league-worst run defence determined to slow down Andrew Harris ($10,139), Demski will be in a position to catch the Tiger-Cats flat footed either on jet sweeps or shovel passes. The Bombers lead the league in rushing yards per game, yards per carry, and rushing touchdowns. While Harris has been the lead back, Demski has also contributed to the team’s ground success.
Sit: Luke Tasker, WR, Tiger-Cats, $6,566 Salary
Not all of Hamilton’s receivers are going to be fed copious amounts of targets from quarterback Jeremiah Masoli ($10,063), especially not against a much-improved Winnipeg pass defence that is second in opponents’ average pass (7.0 yards) while allowing only eight passes of 30-plus yards. The Bombers are also tied for the league lead with 17 quarterback sacks and will seek to make Masoli uncomfortable every time he drops back. Tasker is the one receiver in Hamilton’s elite corps that can’t blow past defensive backs, so while it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get 5-7 catches, it’s the lack of yards and scoring opportunities that make this one of the rare times to say no to one of the game’s best pass catchers.
Montreal (1-6-0) at Ottawa (4-3-0)
Saturday | 8:00 p.m. ET
Start: Greg Ellingson, WR, REDBLACKS, $5,955 Salary
He’s due. Watching teammate Diontae Spencer ($7,673) finally break out of his slump in last week’s loss to the Argonauts had to give Ellingson some sense of optimism. One of the game’s elite receivers has been anything but over the past five weeks, failing to finish with more than 49 yards in each game while not seeing the end zone since scoring in a Week 3 loss to the Stampeders. The Alouettes are a needed tonic for Ellingson, as they have allowed a league-high 18 touchdown passes and 306.6 passing yards per game. Pivot Trevor Harris ($8,405) had his best game of the year last week, and a similar effort would pay off well if Ellingson is the featured receiver in Ottawa’s passing attack.
Sit: B.J. Cunningham, WR, Alouettes, $4,881 Salary
Montreal’s Wheel O’ Pivots has dampened Cunningham’s numbers. A 1,000-yard receiver last season, Cunningham is averaging just over 11 yards per catch and has only five catches for 41 yards in his last two games. Making matters worse is that Eugene Lewis ($2,500) appeared to have been the one receiver that resonated with Johnny Manziel ($7,000) in last Friday’s loss to Hamilton. If that trend continues, the targets are going to be few and far between for Montreal’s best deep threat, who has only one reception this season of better than 30 yards.
