DailyRoto: Week 3 Fantasy Rankings

Oh, how two weeks can change the landscape.

No one is suggesting how the rest of the regular season will go, yet Fantasy users will be of a different mindset heading into Week 3 of TSN CFL Fantasy presented by Leo Vegas.

The shifting tides are most noticeable at pivot, where two weeks of running for his life has made Mike Reilly ($11,554) a liability and the lower half of the position filled with intrigue.

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QUARTERBACKS

No real surprise that Jeremiah Masoli ($11,394) tops the list after putting up 31 Fantasy points in three quarters of work in Saturday’s rout of Toronto. Expect similar production against an Als defence that allowed 607 yards of offence against the Eskimos in Week 1. The surprise is Reilly falling to fourth, entering a tough road date at the Stampeders. He’s better than his composite 23.4 Fantasy points in his first two games with the Lions, yet it will be a massive gamble to hope for a rebound against Calgary.

To a lesser extent, James Franklin ($9,903) isn’t a worthy investment on the road against the Roughriders. BC’s struggles in the secondary make Bo Levi Mitchell ($8,918) a solid play, especially if the Stamps can’t get their run game on track. Matt Nichols ($7,699) may not provide a high yardage total, but keep in mind all three of his Week 1 passing majors were in the red zone.

Bargains are available in the form of Cody Fajardo ($6,235), who faces an Argos defence that allowed a 76 per cent completion rate to the Ticats. Vernon Adams Jr. ($5,571) gets the start for Montreal in place of injured Antonio Pipkin; the Als’ offence was at its most efficient in Week 1 once Adams took over, and his run/pass skills could cause a headache or two for Hamilton.

RUNNING BACKS

Yes, the Blue Bombers held the Lions to a mere four yards in Week 1, but Edmonton’s O-line isn’t BC’s. That means C.J. Gable ($8,334) has a good chance at a third straight 100-yard game because Winnipeg can’t focus on stuffing him unless they’re willing to gamble on Trevor Harris ($10,475) lighting them up. William Powell ($8,928) gets a juicy matchup against Toronto’s run defence, which allowed 161 yards to Hamilton. Speaking of the Ticats, look for Sean Thomas Erlington ($5,102) to be atop most Fantasy rosters following his breakout performance against the Argos. It will be hard to put trust in James Wilder Jr. ($8,529) and Don Jackson ($7,872) after both struggled badly in their respective season openers; if one had to choose between them, lean toward Jackson and the potential of red zone opportunities against BC, although the threat of Wilder as a receiver can make up for his poor running production.

John White ($4,552) and Brandon Rutley ($5,518) are both huge risks since putting trust in BC’s offence is difficult outside of downfield shots to receiver Bryan Burnham ($6,817). Either Marcus Thigpen ($7,359) or Christion Jones ($2,779) can justify their case for playing them with just one big play against the Argonauts. If Toronto’s defence doesn’t show up, Chris Rainey ($6,729) will bring sleeper value simply because of the volume of touches he’ll get returning kickoffs after each Riders major.

RECEIVERS

Greg Ellingson ($8,254) may not duplicate last week’s 38.4 Fantasy points, but be assured Harris will target him at least 10 times. The Edmonton-Winnipeg game could be a boon for receivers, as Kenny Stafford ($4,731) and the (possible) debut of DaVaris Daniels ($7,370) in green and gold will be countered by the big-play ability of Darvin Adams ($7,829) and emerging red zone beast Drew Wolitarsky ($5,128).

Brandon Banks ($13,700) tallied 25.9 Fantasy points against the Alouettes in Week 8 last season and should approach that number even with the presence of Bralon Addison ($5,179) and the potential return of Luke Tasker ($8,960). As rough as Toronto’s offence looked at times on Saturday, the upside of Derel Walker ($8,195) and S.J. Green ($6,709) is too much to ignore. B.J. Cunningham ($5,498) was Vernon Adams’ go-to in Week 1. He won’t be under the radar now that Adams is at the helm in Montreal.

The Stampeders receiving corps was less than stellar in Week 1. That changes against the Lions, so look for Reggie Begleton ($4,881) and Juwan Brescacin ($3,609) to be value plays. Lemar Durant ($4,331) has caught both passing majors for the Lions and has good value as he makes a return to Calgary against his former mates. It’s too early to go all-in with Saskatchewan’s newfound love of the forward pass, but look for Shaquille Evans ($5,065) and Kyran Moore ($4,425) to be Cody Fajardo’s favorite targets. Moore’s return skills makes him a bigger bargain.

DEFENCES

The Roughriders ($5,197) are at home against the struggling Argos. Don’t be shocked if Saskatchewan puts up a defensive major. With the Als breaking in a new starter, the Ticats ($4,042) are a good value play. Calgary ($5,205) looks good against BC, but there’s always the risk of Mike Reilly returning to do Mike Reilly things. With Trevor Harris off to a blistering hot start, the value of playing Winnipeg ($6,300) is muted.

There is mild value with Edmonton ($3,867); although Matt Nichols did throw three touchdowns in Week 1, the Bombers had just 184 passing yards, a total that would look pretty bad if the Eskimos kept Nichols out of the end zone and forced them to rely on a heavy dosage of Andrew Harris ($8,996). Doing so enhances the chance of a low-scoring affair.