Week 1 Fantasy Locks: Is Duron Carter ready to break out?

TORONTO — Never shy off the field, Duron Carter could make plenty of noise in his new home in 2019.

The Lions’ new addition has never played with a bonafide top quarterback before, but this season that will change as he’ll catch passes from marquee free agent signing Mike Reilly.

» Play TSN CFL Fantasy presented by LeoVegas today!

For the CFL Fantasy Podcast trio, which chooses weekly locks and bargain picks, it was enough to warrant a must-start status right out of the gate.

“Duron Carter is going to be a Fantasy MVP type of player,” said Jeff Krever. “We talk about guys in the past — two years ago it was Brandon Zylstra, last year it was Duke Williams — that are like $3,000 going into the year, and by mid-season they end up costing you $7,000. That’s going to be Duron Carter this year, so get him now while you can.”

Hannah Nordman, meanwhile, is also buying stock in the Lions in Week 1, rolling with Reilly as a player that should be on everyone’s Fantasy roster this weekend.

“I’ve got Mike Reilly. I feel so confident that he’s my lock for the third time this spring,” said Nordman. “I feel good about it, I think it’s going to be a high-scoring game, he’s going to put up a high total and I would like to kick off my Week 1 Fantasy totals on a good note.”

CFL Fantasy Podcast, Ep. 29: The return of the king

In his first game back in BC, is Mike Reilly a must-start vs. Winnipeg? Pat Steinberg, Jeff Krever and Hannah Nordman preview Week 1 in the CFL Fantasy Podcast presented by LeoVegas.

It’s hard to believe but the BC Lions are flying under the radar in Week 1, with Carter and Bryan Burnham barely cracking the top-10 most chosen players, and Reilly dropping even further.

A trio of Eskimos is getting much more attention, with Trevor Harris, C.J. Gable and Greg Ellingson appearing on a high number of Fantasy rosters. For Pat Steinberg, early faith in the Eskimos is no surprise.

“I look at Edmonton and I see a team that had a lot of turnover, but there’s an interesting constant, and that’s Trevor Harris and Greg Ellingson from their time in Ottawa,” said Steinberg. “I think especially in the early stages Harris is going to be looking for Ellingson early and often. I really like the Edmonton players in Week 1, I have three of them in my lineup.”

The podcast trio also took a look at bargain buys this week, led by Ticats running back Sean Thomas-Erlington, Stamps reciever Juwan Brescacin and REDBLACKS receiver Nate Behar, who’s battling for playing time in a new-look Ottawa receiving corps.

“There’s a good chance that Brescacin might be the No. 2 target in Bo Levi Mitchell‘s offence, especially while Kamar Jorden continues to recuperate,” said Steinberg. “I think Brescacin is in line for a great year, I don’t think we’re talking about him at under $3,500 for very long so if you can lock in with him you’ll get some good value there.”

In Hamilton, Thomas-Erlington has a cap-friendly salary at $3,000, and could shoulder much of the load in the Ticats’ backfield early as Cameron Marshall starts the season on the six-game injured list.

“I think there’s value there,” said Krever. “His versatility means that no matter what, he’s going to get into games and make an impact. He’s going to be involved in screens, draws, he’ll get his touches on the ground. I think you’re going to like the usage for him as a $3,000 player, and the cap flexibility he gives you at a position that is generally very expensive is a game-breaker for you.”

A summary of this week’s locks and money picks is provided below.

Projections below powered by DailyRoto

CFL Fantasy Podcast Week 1 Locks

CFL Fantasy Podcast Week 1 Money Picks