The Canadian Press
Week 2 of TSN CFL Fantasy Presented by Leo Vegas is highlighted by Mike Reilly’s return to Edmonton on Friday, yet don’t look for the Lions pivot to get any love when comes to this week’s Start/Sit. Most Fantasy users don’t have to be told the risks and rewards that come with spending $11,268 on Reilly, who managed just 13.8 Fantasy points in his BC debut.
There are varying degrees of intrigue in each of the three games this week. The fun part is attempting to project how each fits the structure of building a winning Fantasy roster.
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Saskatchewan at Ottawa
Thursday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Start: William Powell, RB, Roughriders, $8,967 Salary
Saskatchewan had an imposing 36:05 time of possession in last week’s loss to Hamilton, with Powell’s 20 carries and 104 yards leading the way. The Riders will start run-dominant Cody Fajardo ($5,082) while rookie Isaac Harker ($2,500) while also play quarterback, making Powell more important to the offence.
Ottawa allowed just 43 rushing yards to Calgary in Week 1, limiting the defending Grey Cup Champs to a mere 3.6 yards per carry. Don’t look for a repeat by the REDBLACKS, as Saskatchewan will look to use Marcus Thipgen ($6,535) more often as a change-of-pace back to throw Ottawa off-balance and keep Powell fresh for late game carries. About the only reason to not go with Powell is the threat of Fajardo stealing a red zone major from him, yet Powell did find the end zone last week.
Sit: Dominique Davis, QB, REDBLACKS, $6,244 Salary
The Roughriders held All-Star Jeremiah Masoli and the explosive Tiger-Cats offence to just 230 yards in Week 1, so it’s hard to envision Davis being more successful against Saskatchewan’s air-tight defence. It’s unlikely Davis will throw four interceptions like he did in Week 1; it’s also unlikely that Davis will score three rushing touchdowns.
The REDBLACKS will need to have some level of success in the air, especially when considering how few possessions opposing offences have against Saskatchewan. That means Davis will have to take downfield shots, of which he was 0-for-4 with two interceptions last week along with averaging a mere 8.3 yards per attempt, numbers that play perfectly into the hands of the Roughriders secondary.
William Powell could see another heavy workload in Thursday’s contest in Ottawa (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
BC at Edmonton
Friday | 9:00 p.m. ET
Start: Kenny Stafford, WR, Eskimos, $4,661 Salary
Stafford equaled his 2018 scoring production in Week 1, catching a pair of touchdown passes from Trevor Harris ($9,229) on his way to finishing with seven receptions for 98 yards. He’s in excellent position to be no worse than the WR2 on a still pass-happy Eskimos offence as Stafford will compete with Greg Ellingson ($6,514) for a high volume of targets.
Harris was 6-of-8 for 172 yards in attempts of 20-plus yards in Week 1, with one of his two majors going to Stafford. The Lions allowed just 185 passing yards to the Bombers last week, but they will find out it’s a big, big difference from Matt Nichols’ ball-control style to Harris’ stretch-the-defence mentality. That’s all the more reason to run with Stafford as a WR1.
Sit: Brandon Rutley, RB, Lions, $5,316 Salary / John White, RB, Lions, $4,320 Salary
When you rush for four yards on four attempts the entire night, the bar for improvement won’t be too high. Rutley did not have a touch on offence in last week’s loss to Winnipeg but did tally 243 return yards that included a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. White was the BC “running” game in Week 1, accounting for all four carries.
This will be a running back by committee sooner rather than later, and it’s not one Fantasy users want any part of. Rutley’s return skills make him a decent Flex option, but putting up 15.7 Fantasy points on return yards is a tough task. It’s hard to put a “sit” label here, especially since the Eskimos gave up league-worst 7.9 yards per carry to the Alouettes last week, yet it’s the best thing to do.
Hamilton at Toronto
Saturday | 4:00 p.m. ET
Start: Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Tiger-Cats, $10,696 Salary
The Argos secondary was mauled by Masoli in 2018, allowing 65 completions for 1,080 yards and 11 majors in the three games they faced him. Coming off a so-so performance in Week 1, Masoli (and Fantasy users) are licking their chops to attack a Toronto pass defence that allowed a league-high 38 completions of better than 30 yards last season along with finishing last in opponents’ average pass (9.5) and passing majors allowed (35).
This is a good matchup to pair Masoli with one of his second-tier receivers like Bralon Addison ($3,762) or Mike Jones ($4,347), while running back Sean Thomas Erlington ($4,083), who averaged nearly 12 yards per catch in Week 1, represents a solid tag team with Masoli.
Sit: James Franklin, QB, Argonauts, $9,471 Salary
So, which Franklin to expect? Will the focused and locked version that was seen in training camp arrive, or does the inconsistent passer and red zone running threat that defined Franklin’s 2018 season remain a frustrating presence for Fantasy users? Don’t be the Fantasy user seeking an answer by playing Franklin, for it’s best to look elsewhere for another starter while laying back to see what Franklin does.
The Argos have considerable firepower with running back James Wilder Jr. ($8,385) and receivers S.J. Green ($6,221), Derel Walker ($8,206) and Armanti Edwards ($5,848), yet it wouldn’t matter much if Franklin is unable to get the ball downfield.
