The Canadian Press
A story that began in early June with nine teams will end Saturday evening with only six remaining for the championship chase.
Now that the postseason picture is set, Week 21 of the regular season will not have the nail-biting implications fans have become accustomed to, yet for CFL Fantasy users, the final week of the regular season offers one final shot to create a lineup.
This week’s Start vs. Sit will be more interesting as playoff bound teams will seek to give their key performers a rest while those looking toward 2024 will use the weekend as an advanced screening.
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» Landry’s five takeaways from Week 20
Winnipeg (13-4-0) at Calgary (6-11-0), Friday, 9:00pm (Eastern)
Start: Rasheed Bailey, WR, Blue Bombers, $7,000 Salary
We listed Bailey as one of our Week 20 Sleepers, and while he caught just three passes for 24 yards, two resulted in majors, allowing Bailey to finish with a season-best 17.4 fantasy points. With the Bombers likely to rest some of their starters, Bailey seems like a good bet to get a significant dose of targets on Friday. He’s had three straight games of three targets, and if Bailey is in the lineup, look for him to approach the season-high eight targets he recorded against Hamilton in Week 1.
Sit: Brady Oliveira, RB, Blue Bombers, $13,800 Salary
Should Winnipeg place the league’s leading rusher atop the depth chart on Thursday, don’t expect Oliveira to see much playing time beyond a handful of carries to keep him sharp leading into the Western Final on November 11. Oliveira scored 21.9 FP in the Week 20 win over Edmonton, marking the eighth time he has scored at least 20 FP in his last 10 games. Count on Friday being a showcase for backup Johnny Augustine ($2,500) and the ever-versatile Greg McCrae ($5,000), who combined for 13 offensive touches on Saturday.
Hamilton (8-9-0) at Montreal (10-7-0), Saturday, 4:00pm
Start: Walter Fletcher, RB, Alouettes, $5,200 Salary
With the two teams set to face each other in next Saturday’s Eastern Semi-Final, don’t expect either to show their hand in the regular season finale. This presents an opportunity for the Alouettes to give Fletcher the bulk of the work in the Montreal backfield in order to give William Stanback ($10,000) another week to heal up before the postseason. Fletcher has shined in the past two games, scoring 16 fantasy points in Week 18 and 12.4 FP in Week 9. The Tiger-Cats limited the Lions to 30 rushing yards in Week 19 but have allowed nearly 114 yards per game on the ground this season. Keep in mind that Fletcher is also a solid receiver out of the backfield, which enhances his potential.
Sit: Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, Tiger-Cats, $7,500 Salary
Hamilton has eased Mitchell back into the swing of things since his return in Week 18. The two-time Most Outstanding Player award winner has thrown a combined 264 yards and three touchdowns in limited duty and should be ready to go for the Eastern Semi-Final. At best, Mitchell will see a handful of snaps, but don’t bank on him going the distance. Matthew Shiltz ($7,500) and rookie Taylor Powell ($5,000) will get the majority of the action.
Toronto (15-2-0) at Ottawa (4-13-0), Saturday, 7:00pm
Start: Daniel Adeboboye, RB, Argonauts, $2,500 Salary
AJ Ouellette ($11,200) will go into the Eastern Final as the undisputed featured back for Toronto, but Adeboboye has spent the past two games showing the Argos a glimpse into the future as an explosive sidekick to Ouellette. The 15th overall pick of the 2022 CFL Draft had the best game of his brief career in Week 20 when he rushed for 109 yards and the game-winning touchdown on just nine carries while catching three passes for 36 yards. While the REDBLACKS rank among the league leaders in fewest rushing yards allowed, Adeboboye’s combination of speed and power will make him an enticing fantasy play.
Sit: Dustin Crum, QB, REDBLACKS, $10,000 Salary
Saturday could be the last time Crum will be able to make an impression upon Ottawa’s front office as they begin preparing for next season. The rookie has shown flashes of his potential, but his production has hit a wall over the past three games as he has scored a combined 20.8 fantasy points in that span. To his credit, one of his best games of the season came at the expense of the Argonauts when Crum tallied 27.2 FP against them in Week 10. However, Crum has accounted for just one major in his last three games. He’s made a good case to be in consideration for the starting job in 2024, yet his recent production makes Crum a difficult option in Week 21.
