Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
We are approaching the one-third mark of CFL fantasy season, and as Week 6 comes alive on Thursday, there are still a number of players who have yet to awaken from what feels like an extended slumber. On the other hand, we have seen a host of talents who have consistently exceeded their weekly projections. Both sides of the story will be shown in this week’s Start vs. Sit.
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» Steinberg’s MMQB: How the West is being won
» Landry’s 5 takeaways from Week 5
Hamilton (1-3-0) at Edmonton (0-5-0), Thursday, 9:00pm (Eastern)
Line: Hamilton (-2.5)
O/U: 42.5
Start: Hamilton Tiger-Cats (defence), $6,100 Salary
The Tiger-Cats’ D was used by 11.8 percent of fantasy users in Week 5 and delivered a season-high 17 fantasy points against the REDBLACKS, more than double their total in the previous three games combined. Hamilton gets the fortune of facing another struggling offence in the Elks, who have scored just six offensive majors this season. Edmonton has also turned the ball over a league-high 15 times, making Hamilton’s defence, which forced three turnovers in the win over Ottawa, a worthy play for a second straight week.
Sit: Dillon Mitchell, WR, Elks, $8,100 Salary
Mitchell scored a season-best 6.4 FP in the Week 5 loss to the Roughriders, a number that exceeded the 4.2 combined points he had coming into last Thursday’s game. We have yet to see the explosiveness that Mitchell displayed last season when he averaged 18.2 yards per catch while teaming up with pivot Taylor Cornelius ($15,000) to offer a bright future to the Elks passing attack. Mitchell has just 36 receiving yards on seven receptions and while it would appear he’d become more involved in the passing game with Eugene Lewis ($15,000) on the six-game injured list, the presence of Steven Dunbar, Jr. ($13,500) and Kyran Moore ($11,700) has made Mitchell a forgotten asset in Edmonton.
Toronto (3-0-0) at Montreal (2-2-0), Friday, 7:30pm
Line: Toronto (-3.5)
O/U: 45.5
Start: Chad Kelly, QB, Argonauts, $15,000 Salary
Toronto’s ball hawkish ways (six interceptions of Vernon Adams Jr.) were the main reason Kelly managed just 15.5 FP in the Week 4 win over the Lions. Kelly has accounted for at least one touchdown in each of the first three games for the defending Grey Cup champs and will get an opportunity to pick apart an Alouettes defence that Adams carved up for 283 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win. Kelly is averaging a modest 250.3 passing yards per game and it feels like we have yet to see him really get going with his right arm. Add in his running skills (especially near the goal line) and you have the makings of a big output in place.
Sit: William Stanback, RB, Alouettes, $15,000 Salary
Where, oh where, have you gone, No. 31? After rushing for 106 yards in Week 3, the fulcrum of Montreal’s ground game has been split. Stanback has rushed for just 87 yards on 14 carries in the past two games, producing just 11.7 FP in the process. He has yet to score a major this season and if the Alouettes have any intent on proving they can be factors in the East Division race, getting the ball into the hands of Stanback more than 9.5 times per game (as has been the case the past two games) is mandatory. Until then, it’s best to avoid Stanback and seek another option for fantasy production.
Winnipeg (4-1-0) at Ottawa (1-3-0), Saturday, 4:00pm
Line: Winnipeg (-9.5)
O/U: 45.5
Start: Greg McCrae, RB, Blue Bombers, $6,300 Salary
Listed as a running back, McCrae has started the past two games as a slot receiver and has totaled 23.9 fantasy points while producing 139 yards from scrimmage and two receiving majors on just 11 touches. McCrae’s speed and versatility adds another lethal element to a Winnipeg offence deep in talent, and if Zach Collaros ($15,000) continues to find ways to get the second year back from Central Florida more involved, then consider him an outright steal at this near bargain basement salary.
Sit: De’Montre Tuggle, RB, REDBLACKS, $7,700 Salary
Tuggle’s Week 4 breakout appears to be short-lived as he became part of a timeshare with Jackson Bennett ($6,700) in the Week 5 loss to Hamilton. While Tuggle had 13-5 edge in touches from scrimmage, he managed just 43 yards and must now take on a Blue Bombers defence that put the clamps on Calgary’s Dedrick Mills ($12,400) in the second half of Friday’s win over the Stampeders. Winnipeg held Mills to just 13 rushing yards after intermission following a first half in which Mills rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Tuggle will also have to contend with the fact that potential starting pivot Dustin Crum ($5,000) showed impressive running skills (91 yards on just six carries) after replacing the injured Jeremiah Masoli ($13,000), so don’t count on Tuggle having the Ottawa ground game to himself.
Calgary (1-3-0) at Saskatchewan (3-1-0), Saturday, 7:00pm
Line: Calgary (+2.5)
O/U: 45.5
Start: Trevor Harris, QB, Saskatchewan, $15,000 Salary
We’ve seen vintage Harris the past three weeks as he’s averaged 323.3 passing yards per game after opening the season with just 179 yards against Edmonton. The Stamps rank near the bottom in opponents’ completion percentage allowed, making the choice of Harris as your Week 6 pivot more tempting. Harris averaged 10.1 yards per attempt in last week’s win over the Elks and his 17.1 average fantasy points more than clears the 15.6 projected FP he had for Week 5. Harris has thrown at least one touchdown in each game this season and facing the Stamps could present an opportunity for multiple passing majors.
Sit: Jake Maier, QB, Stampeders, $15,000 Salary
Maier managed just 2.0 fantasy points in the Week 5 loss to Winnipeg, finishing with just 122 passing yards on 25 attempts, a paltry 4.9 yards per toss. The Calgary passing game is deeply missing the deep threat potential the injured Malik Henry ($14,700) offered as Maier had just one completion of better than 20 yards against the Blue Bombers. Right now, the offence runs through Dedrick Mills, and if he’s slowed down like how he was against the Bombers last week, then Calgary’s offence will continue to struggle until they find a consistent downfield threat.
