Matt Smith/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Fantasy users stayed away in Week 8, but is now the time to invest in Dane Evans in TSN CFL Fantasy presented by LeoVegas?
The Ticats’ quarterback has big shoes to fill after a season-ending injury to Jeremiah Masoli, and he struggled to move the football in the first half of a loss to the Riders last weekend.
But priced at under $6,000 and facing a favourable matchup against the BC Lions, Evans is a gamble worth considering according to Pat Steinberg, Jeff Krever and Hannah Nordman in the latest CFL Fantasy Podcast.
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“If you’re going to take him, this would be the week,” said Steinberg. “He had some flashes in his first CFL start. He didn’t do much for you Fantasy-wise, didn’t hit double digits and they were very conservative with the playbook, which you would understand in his first start.
“People talk about how high the upside is with him, and it continues to intrigue me,” he added. “I’d certainly consider it, the price is nice, the matchup is nice and if there’s a week for him to take a big step forward, this is it. He’s on my Fantasy radar.”
Along with the the Bombers’ two-game mini slump, a quarterback injury in Montreal and Riders emerging star Shaquelle Evans, the Ticats’ sophomore quarterback was among hot topics in Fantasy going into Week 9:
With Masoli out for the season after suffering a torn ACL, the first-place Ticats put their Grey Cup hopes on the shoulders of unproven talent at the quarterback position.
But as Steinberg points out, many are quite bullish on Evans’ potential, as the strong-armed pivot earned the No. 2 job last season and has played well in previous spot duty, including in the pre-season.
After throwing for 196 yards, a touchdown and an interception vs. Saskatchewan, Evans returns home to face a BC defence allowing the highest opponent quarterback rating in the CFL at 114.0.
“I thought I was going to be in the minority here,” said Hannah Nordman. “I need something to shake up my lineup. He was comfortable enough to run some trick plays — he even caught a pass for 13 yards.”
Still, there’s always a risk when it comes to unknown prospects at the position. Nick Arbuckle, Vernon Adams and Cody Fajardo have thrived this season and provided plenty of value at their position, but success is never guaranteed.
“I’ve got him in my lineup this week,” added Krever. “I like the matchup, I think he’s got the big arm and now he’s gotten a bit of a taste of starting at quarterback in the CFL. I think this is the week to take him against the BC Lions.”
